Miami Dolphins Announce Fans Cannot Attend Training Camp, Preseason Games, Or Tailgate This Season
MIAMI (CBSMiami ) -- The Miami Dolphins announced Thursday the health and safety protocols that the organization is putting in place for the upcoming season with regards to fans. The biggest news from the announcement is that fans will not be allowed to attend training camp or preseason games and no tailgating will be allowed this season at Hard Rock Stadium.
The organization says that it conducted a thorough review of the fan experience with the intent to provide "a safe environment for guests." The review began in late March and has reached several conclusion on several key protocols. While capacity for the stadium will be determined at a later date, the key protocols announced today are:
- No fans for training camp and preseason games
- No tailgating for 2020 season
- Socially-distanced seating clusters
- All fans and stadium employees will be required to wear a mask when not eating or drinking
- Mobile touchless entry with more points of entries and exits to help avoid bottlenecks at ingress/egress
- Cashless experience for food service, parking and retail
- GBAC Star certification
"Things are changing week to week and we are still more than two months away from our first scheduled regular season home game so we'll wait and work with local authorities and make the determination about fans or no fans based on the data as we get closer; with the first priority continuing to be everyone's health and preventing any spread of the virus," said Tom Garfinkel, Vice-Chairman and CEO of the Miami Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium in a statement. "We're ready for any scenario and feel very good about the diligence and attention to detail that has gone into creating the safest environment we can if we are able to have fans on September 20th."
If and when fans are allowed to attend games this fall, they will go through touchless security screening. Once inside, all food, beverage, parking and retail orders will be a cashless experience conducted either through mobile app payment or credit card. Fans will get text notifications when their order is ready.
As for the bathrooms at the stadium, the organization says that all of the faucets, toilet handles, toilets, soap dispensers, and paper towel dispensers have been changed to automatic sensors in order to provide the same touchless experience.
The GBAC Star certification comes from the Global Biorisk Advisory Council, a division of ISSA the worldwide cleaning industry association. The team says that the stadium completed 20 program elements focused on "cleaning, disinfection and infectious disease prevention practices to control risks associated with infectious agents," in order to obtain certification.
Whenever capacity is determined for the 2020 season, season ticket holders will have first priority to purchase tickets based on tenure. All season ticket holders will have the option to roll their 2020 payments into the 2021 season while retaining their tenure and "seat-associated" benefits.
