MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Fans of the Miami Dolphins and Miami Hurricanes will be able to cheer for their teams in person this season -- at least for the first home game.
The Dolphins announced Monday that a limited capacity will be allowed at Hard Rock Stadium for the home opener next month.
A maximum of 13,000 fans will be allowed at the Sept. 20 game against the Buffalo Bills. The Miami Hurricanes, who also play at Hard Rock Stadium, will allow a maximum of 13,000 fans at their Sept. 10 opener against the UAB Blazers.
"The prospect of us having full stadiums in the fall was not very high," Tom Garfinkel, vice chairman, president and CEO of the Dolphins, said during a news conference Monday. "So I asked the question of the team, I said, 'You know, is it possible to create a stadium environment where people can be socially distant and socially present at the same time?'"
Miami-Dade County leads the state in the number of coronavirus cases. Hard Rock Stadium is also a COVID-19 testing site.
Among the policies that will be in place for fans this season are socially distanced seating clusters, a mask mandate for all those who are not actively eating or drinking inside the stadium, staggered gate entry times, and no tailgating.
Some NFL teams, like the Las Vegas Raiders, are not allowing any fans to attend games this season, while others, like the Jacksonville Jaguars, are capping attendance at 25%.
Dolphins season ticket holders will have first priority to purchase tickets based on their tenure. All season ticket holders will have the option to roll their 2020 payments into the 2021 season and retain all of their tenure, seats and associated benefits.