Rangers to allow fans at 100 percent capacity on opening day, Cowboys hope to do the same
The Texas Rangers will allow Globe Life Field to be 100 percent full on opening day. The team announced Wednesday that it would allow the stadium to be at full capacity for its final two exhibition games and opening day, according to Levi Weaver of The Athletic.
After that, the team will have "social-distanced sections available in subsequent games," according to Weaver.
Fans who attend those two exhibition games or opening day will be required to wear masks, though the team is hoping for "voluntary compliance."
- masks will be required
- no tailgating allowed
- team is asking for “voluntary compliance” but refusal to comply will fall under the usual three-strike rule, just like excessive profanity, etc.
More to come.— Levi Weaver (@ThreeTwoEephus) March 10, 2021
Cowboys planning on full stands too
Later Wednesday, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said that he hopes to do the same at AT&T Stadium.
“We anticipate playing in front of a full house," Jones said of the 2021 NFL season.
The announcements come a week after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott opened the state 100 percent and no longer required the use of masks.
Globe Life Field can hold over 40,000 people. AT&T Stadium seats 80,000 for Cowboys games.
Rangers are first MLB team to fully open attendance
With the news, the Rangers are the first team to allow for 100 percent attendance in 2021. Other teams will allow for fans during the 2021 season, but only at limited attendance. The St. Louis Cardinals, as an example, are only allowing 32 percent capacity to start the season.
The move presumably opens the door for the Houston Astros to host fans at 100 percent capacity, though the team has given no indication it will do that. For now, it's expected the Astros will allow limited capacity at games in 2021.
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