The Chicago Bears still haven’t made a decision on whether they’ll be allowing fans at Soldier Field this season. That has a lot to do with the current social distancing guidelines in place for the state of Illinois. But they haven’t shot down the possibility like some other teams have.
But if the Bears decide not to allow fans in the stands in 2020, there might still be a way to integrate fans into the stands of Soldier Field.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the NFL is considering using virtual fans at stadiums on game days. The NBA uses a similar model in their virtual bubble at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.
The league must get creative because of the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic. The Las Vegas Raiders have announced that no fans will attend home games for the inaugural season in Allegiant Stadium, and fans will not be permitted in several other stadiums across the league under current conditions.
Some teams still are hoping for 33% to 40% capacity in their stadiums to start the season, but that’s hardly a slam dunk given the national spike in positive tests.
Either way, the NFL is prepared to enhance the game-day experience with potentially sizable virtual backdrops inside stadiums, the source said.
Enhanced virtual advertising also is an option to fill vacant seats.
The Bears previously announced that there will be no season-ticket packages for the 2020 season, and that if fans are allowed at Soldier Field, tickets would be made available on a single-game basis exclusively to season ticket holders. If Bears fans are allowed at games this year, they’ll be required to wear masks at all times.
The Bears have also offered up full refunds for season ticket holders amid the COVID-19 pandemic. With no season tickets, the team announced that all season ticket holders will receive a refund or their 2020 payments can be credited to the 2021 season.
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