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The 2021 NFL season should be one for the ages. The COVID-19 pandemic prevented teams from inviting fans to training camp and holding preseason games in 2020.
Moreover, NFL stadiums around the country were either empty or had a small percentage of fans in attendance. Super Bowl LV, which took place in Tampa, Florida this February, hosted the most fans of any game last season, which included vaccinated healthcare workers.
Full Capacity is expected at all NFL stadiums in the 2021 season
As of May 2021, 30 out of 32 NFL teams had been approved to open their stadiums at full capacity this fall for the 2021 season.
The Denver Broncos became the 31st team to be approved at the beginning of June. On Tuesday afternoon, the Indianapolis Colts announced that they had officially been approved to open Lucas Oil Stadium at full capacity. This means that all 32 NFL stadiums will officially be fully open, a much different scenario compared to what teams faced in the 2020 season.
Filling the stadiums at full capacity is great news for team owners who will see higher revenues than they did last season. The players were among the most affected by playing in front of cardboard cutouts and fake crowd noises in 2020. Having home-field advantage is what teams thrive of.
For example, the Seattle Seahawks '12th Man' at Lumen Field is one of the toughest atmospheres for visiting teams. One could only imagine what the outcome would have been in the Wild Card matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks had there been Seahawks fans in attendance.
With full capacity NFL stadiums and owners preparing to make their revenues back, higher ticket prices have also come to the fare. Fans who have already begun purchasing their tickets for the upcoming 2021 NFL season will notice that there is a more severe ticket price increase than was the case the last few seasons. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have two of the highest-priced games of the season.
The Week 1 Thursday Night football game against the Dallas Cowboys has seen tickets on average priced at $750. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Week 4 trip to Foxboro to play the New England Patriots is sold out, a game which will mark the first time Tom Brady will be back to play his former team.
So, with the good news of full capacity NFL stadiums in 2021, it also comes with the not so good news that it may cost a lot more to finally see your favorite team in person from stadiums.
