Dolphins plan to host fans for NFL games amid pandemic

Feb 2, 2020; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; A general view of the stadium exterior before Super Bowl LIV between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers at Hard Rock Stadium. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Dolphins plan to host fans for NFL games amid coronavirus pandemic

By Zac Wassink | Last updated 5/4/20

Last week, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis publicly welcomed sporting events to his state despite concerns regarding the coronavirus pandemic. DeSantis also spoke about the possibility that fans could attend games as soon as the summer months.

The Miami Dolphins are planning for just that.

On Monday, Cassandra Negley of Yahoo Sports, Scott Gleeson of USA Today, and other outlets wrote about how the Dolphins intend for fans to attend Hard Rock Stadium for NFL games this fall. Club CEO and president Tom Garfinkel spoke with "Good Morning America" about the subject earlier in the day:

With the NFL set to announce the 2020 schedule this week, here’s an exclusive look at how the @MiamiDolphins are safely preparing @HardRockStadium for the upcoming season amid the pandemic, including a major accreditation. Our report on @GMA pic.twitter.com/ogbCOE7UuB
— Victor Oquendo (@VictorOquendo) May 4, 2020

As part of the organization's protocol, attendance could be reduced from roughly 65,000 fans to 15,000 to encourage social distancing measures. Arrivals to and exits from the venue would be scheduled to keep people separated, fans would be required to wear masks, and customers would be required to pre-order concessions and then pick items up to eliminate lines.

ESPN's Cameron Wolfe added:

Hard Rock Stadium became the first public facility to earn the Global Biorisk Advisory Council's STAR accreditation, the standard used for facilities to implement cleaning, disinfecting and infectious disease prevention work practices to control risks involved with infectious agents like the coronavirus. (The GBAC is a division of ISSA, a worldwide trade association for the cleaning industry.)

While Miami fans hopeful to watch football in-person starting in September may welcome Monday's news, all should know such plans are largely for show and little else as of the first week of May. Neither the NFL nor NFL Players Association have announced any agreement regarding the 2020 season that likely will be at least somewhat altered due to the virus outbreak.

The NFL intends to release a 17-week schedule for the campaign by May 9.

Also on Monday, the league canceled all international fixtures for the calendar year.

More must-reads: