The Saints announce their season opener against the Tampa Bay Bucs will be played without fans in attendance at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on September 13. Saints President Dennis Lauscha says while Orleans Parish may be doing better with containing virus spread, it’s the fans coming in from other areas that are of major concern.
“30% of our fans come from across the region and across the region right now we have some of the highest per capita infection rates in the country so we’ve got to get those numbers down,” said Lauscha.
Lauscha says team officials have been working closely with health and safety experts, state and local authorities, and the NFL to outline a plan for the safest way to reintroduce fans to the Superdome.
“The plan is extraordinarily thorough and when the infection rates get back down, then we’ll roll out the plan and hopefully have fans come to our games,” said Lauscha.
The fate of game attendance for other home games is currently unknown and will depend on the status of trends in virus spread. Lauscha says the game-day production with fans in attendance is vital in maintaining dome field advantage.
“What announcements are made during certain times of the game, what types of music is played, it is all 100% focused on getting the fans to crescendo at the right time when we are on defense or need a big play,” said Lauscha.
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