Little did the cast of “Good Morning Football” know how the sports landscape would be turned upside down when, on March 9, they announced the teams representing the AFC and NFC in the 2020 Hall of Fame game.
Single event tickets for the Pittsburgh Steelers-Dallas Cowboys HOF game went on sale on March 13 and sold out in 22 minutes — just two days after the NBA season was shut down.
If the NFL gets the green-light to resume operations, the HOF wants to be ready. Should that not happen, they also need to have alternatives in place.
As with every move that the NFL makes regarding its season, the HOF will follow suit.
David Baker, executive director of the Hall of Fame, told USA TODAY Sports that there are contingency plans under consideration for the annual preseason kickoff game (Aug. 6) and the HOF enshrinement ceremony (Aug. 8).
“We’re not going to do anything that’s not safe,” Baker told USA Today Sports. “But I do hope that we can lead in showing that this can be done in a way that will inspire us.”
One of the possibilities is to postpone the game and ceremony to later in August if the NFL shortens the preseason.
If the Steelers-Cowboys exhibition game is canceled, the enshrinement could be coupled with the Centennial Celebration slated for Sept. 18, when 10 selections from the seniors pool, including former Steelers safety Donnie Shell, are to be inducted to mark the NFL’s 100-year anniversary. The league was founded on Sept. 17, 1920.
Conducting a virtual enshrinement, much like the NFL did with the draft, is not currently on the table. Baker wants to preserve experiences of tradition like the Gold Jacket Dinner, where new inductees are introduced and make their way to the stage to receiver their jacket surrounded by tables where current Hall of Famers sit.
If the game is canceled, two other options are being discussed for 2021: Conducting the enshrinement Easter Weekend or inducting two classes.
While there are many sold-out ticket packages, as of May 4, more than 14,000 tickets remained available for the HOF enshrinement ceremony, which will include the induction of former Steelers head coach Bill Cowher and legendary safety Troy Polamalu.
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