Ravens limit attendance to under 14,000 fans amid coronavirus pandemic
If a 2020 NFL season occurs this fall amid the coronavirus pandemic, something that seems less likely with every day, the Baltimore Ravens will play in a mostly empty M&T Bank Stadium.
On Wednesday, the Ravens announced via an email to season-ticket holders that season tickets for 2020 are deferred to at least 2021, and that the venue with a capacity of 71,008 will welcome fewer than 14,000 fans for games.
Ravens president Dick Cass said:
"To offer a proper level of safety for fans who want to attend games, a reduction in capacity is necessary. We are disappointed that this will be a disruption for many ticket buyers, but we have an obligation to our fans and our community to keep M&T Bank Stadium as safe as possible."
Senior vice president of ticket sales and operations Baker Koppelman added:
"With over 62,000 season tickets already sold, there is no equitable way to accommodate in a limited stadium capacity all PSL Owners who are interested in maintaining season tickets for 2020. Under these unusual circumstances, it's best to simplify the ticket sales process and allow fans to decide which games they want to attend, while giving our PSL Owners priority in accessing tickets."
The Miami Dolphins and Carolina Panthers are among clubs that publicly prepared supporters during the spring for a reality where football stadiums won't be filled to capacity for games due to the uncontrolled virus outbreak.
Some franchises have allowed season-ticket holders to skip the upcoming campaign that is still scheduled to begin on Sept. 10.
Meanwhile, the NFL and NFL Players Association may soon agree to cancel all preseason games to avoid travel for meaningless fixtures as coronavirus cases continue to rise throughout much of the country.
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