Raiders Las Vegas Stadium Likely To Be Fan-less During Inaugural Season
(KPIX) -- Training camp begins across the NFL tomorrow. Over the course of the week, players will take COVID tests, but will not gather on the field. With the elimination of the preseason this year, teams can begin the slow ramp up to the regular season which begins in September.
Because of the pandemic, the Raiders will not train in Napa this season, instead will stay close to their new home in Las Vegas. They recently finished construcion their headquarters complex in Henderson, NV which cost $75 million and boasts an indoor 150,000-square-foot "field house" to help beat the heat.
They are slated to christen the $1.8 billion Allegiant Stadium, a hulking silver and black domed structure that sits near the Las Vegas Strip on September 21. Fans were expected to pack the palace to the roof for the home opener against the Saints, but that's very much in doubt as virus concerns continue.
"It's no definite, but it's 90% no," said Vic Tafur, Raiders beat writer for the The Athletic.
Tafur says team owner Mark Davis is taking an all-or-nothing approach when it comes to fans. NFL teams are working with local governments to decide if they want allow a reduced crowd inside individual stadiums.
"His plan is to have an inaugural season 2.0 next year and do the ribbon-cutting in 2021," Tafur said. "He said if fans can't go, he won't go."
