The Minnesota Vikings have rolled out the welcome mat for fans heading into the first two home games of the 2020 NFL season. Unfortunately, the invite to U.S. Bank Stadium is only going to be a virtual affair.
The Vikings are among the NFL teams that have decided against welcoming fans into their home stadiums at the onset of the season due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The two games impacted by the decision are the Vikings’ season opener against the Green Bay Packers on Sept. 13 and a Week 3 showdown with the Tennessee Titans on Sept. 27.
In the wake of that announcement a week back, the Vikings revealed how fans can still get their faces seen in the stands on gameday.
The team announced on social media Friday that fans can now submit hi-res photos, which will be turned into cardboard cutouts to help fill some of the 66,000-plus empty seats.
There are some rules and regulations concerning what will and will not be permitted, and the Vikings lay out the specifics on their official site. To no surprise, club-branded attire is only allowed. The fact that no “political statements, logos, slogans or other political content” is hardly a shock, either.
The cutouts will be used as long as fans are not welcomed into U.S. Bank Stadium, and fans have the option of retrieving their cutouts when no longer needed.
The most redeeming part of the Vikings’ promotion is that 100% of the net proceeds of the $150 cost for a cutout will go to charities in the community.
The Vikings’ attempt to allow some fan involvement during games in an otherwise sterile gameday environment is hardly a novel one. Countless MLB teams have done the same as the league plays out a 60-game season this summer with no fans in the stands.
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