Up to up 13,000 fans will be allowed to attend the University of Miami and Miami Dolphins’ football home openers next month at Hard Rock Stadium in a plan approved by the Miami-Dade County Health Department and applauded by Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday.
“I know this isn’t going to be people falling from the rafters here, but I think it is something that will give people a little hope,” DeSantis said at the stadium in Miami Gardens alongside Miami-Dade Mayor and Congressional candidate Carlos Giménez.
“There’s been a lot of stress and angst over these last many months. It’s been a difficult time for a lot of people,” DeSantis said. “Having something to look forward to gives people a bit of hope. To just say no, we’re not going to do anything, I don’t think that’s a viable pathway for the state going forward.”
The Hurricanes are set to open Sept. 10 against the University of Alabama-Birmingham, and the Dolphins’ Sept. 20 home opener is against the Buffalo Bills.
The Dolphins and the Jacksonville Jaguars are among eight NFL teams that will allow a limited number of fans at home openers. Fifteen teams have ruled out spectators for September games. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are among nine teams that have not announced plans.
The 13,000 crowd cap is 20 percent of Hard Rock Stadium’s 65,326 capacity. Longest-tenured season ticket holders have first priority to purchase tickets.
According to the Dolphins’ 46-page plan, green-lighted by local public health officials and the Miami-Dade Commission, fans and employees must wear masks when not eating or drinking, tailgating is prohibited, gate entry will be staggered to avoid bottlenecks and bathroom faucets, toilets and soap and paper towel dispensers will be “touchless.”
Dolphins Vice Chairman, President and CEO Tom Garfinkel said the team has been exploring “what a socially distanced stadium could look like” since March, noting stadium officials consulted with sanitation and cleaning experts, changed the air ventilation filtration system and created a mobile ordering system to cut down on lines.
“We’re happy that our elected officials recognize the attention to detail and diligence that we’ve put into creating a safe environment and that they made the decision to move forward,” Garfinkel said.
Alcohol sales will be shut off at halftime, he said, and the mask requirement strictly enforced.
“If you are someone that doesn’t want to wear a mask, this isn’t the place for you,” Garfinkel said. “Don’t buy a ticket. Don’t come.”
The decision only affects two Dolphins’ contests and one Hurricanes game.
“After that, we’ll take a look and see where the numbers are. If they get a lot worse, it’s very conceivable we could have a situation later in the year where we don’t have fans at a game,” Garfinkel said. “If they get markedly better, it’s possible we could move to half capacity.”
Not everyone is happy with the decision, but for different reasons.
U.S. Rep. Donna Shalala, D-Miami, a former U.S. Health & Human Services secretary and University of Miami president, said with COVID-19 community spread a local concern, “There is no question that it’s risky.”
Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott told ESPN that it’s unfair the NFL is allowing local governments to determine whether people can attend games, creating a situation where some teams will have fans in the stands while others, such as his team as of Monday, won’t.
“I think it’s honestly ridiculous that there will be on the surface what appears to be a playing field that’s like that, inconsistently across the league,” McDermott said.
