Ravens Plan For Full Capacity In 2021 Season

BALTIMORE, MD — The Baltimore Ravens sent a message to season ticket holders Tuesday letting them know the team is hopeful it will be allowed to resume hosting games at full capacity this season.

"With continuing progress in vaccinations throughout the nation and in our community, we are optimistic that we will have a full stadium of fans this season," Baltimore Ravens President Dick Cass said in a statement Tuesday. "To achieve our goal of a full stadium, we encourage everyone in our community to get vaccinated and continue following the best practices recommended by public health authorities."

Gov. Larry Hogan said had plans to talk with Cass about the matter.

"I think it's a great idea. We'd love to get a full stadium as soon as the season gets back," Hogan said at a news conference Tuesday in Baltimore County. "I have a meeting with Dick Cass today to talk about just that. I know it's what the whole NFL is looking to do."

Currently, M&T Bank Stadium is serving as a mass vaccination site where thousands of people have received the COVID-19 vaccine. Other NFL stadiums around the country have done the same.

"We're going to be winding down" mass vaccination sites when there is no longer a need, the governor said.

More than 35 percent of Maryland's population has been vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Tuesday, May 4, including 32 percent who have had two doses and more than 3 percent who have had the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, according to the Maryland Department of Health.

Over 49 percent of Marylanders have had at least one dose of the vaccine.

"The President said he wanted to get things back to normal by the Fourth of July, so football season obviously starts after that," Hogan said. "My plan is to get things back to normal by Memorial Day, which is coming up."

To encourage people to get vaccinated, Ravens kicker Justin Tucker recently partnered with the University of Maryland Medical System on a public service announcement.

"Let's kick COVID together," said Tucker, who is among the most accurate NFL kickers, in the announcement.

"We look forward to working closely with the Ravens to get fans back to M&T at full capacity in the fall," Hogan said in a statement Tuesday afternoon. "This is another sign of the progress we’re making to get back to normal."

In mid-October, the state issued guidance allowing venues with a capacity of more than 2,500 people to be filled up to 10 percent of the permitted occupancy, meaning M&T Bank Stadium could host 7,100 fans.

The capacity of M&T Bank Stadium is 71,008, according to the Ravens.

As of April, convention centers, indoor venues and outdoor venues were at 50 percent capacity in Maryland, where people must wear face coverings at large ticketed venues outside as well as inside public spaces, inside private businesses and while using public transportation.

We look forward to working closely with the Ravens to get fans back to M&T at full capacity in the fall. This is another sign of the progress we’re making to get back to normal.https://t.co/Xc5LDlv0Po
— Governor Larry Hogan (@GovLarryHogan) May 4, 2021

See Also:

• How M&T Bank Stadium Was Transformed Into A COVID Mass Vax Site
• MD Lifts Outdoor Mask Mandate, Ends Outside Dining Restrictions
• Capacity At Outdoor Venues, Stadiums Increased In MD In October
• Ravens Started 2020 Season With No Fans At M&T Bank Stadium

Here is the letter from Cass to Ravens ticket holders posted Tuesday, May 4:

Dear Ravens PSL Owner,

With the NFL Draft now behind us, the excitement of adding new impact players to our roster provides even greater enthusiasm for the upcoming season. We are all looking forward to the chance to see live Ravens football at an M&T Bank Stadium filled with fans.

Our preparations for the new season are ongoing, and with continuing progress in vaccinations throughout the nation and in our community, we are optimistic that we will have a full stadium of fans this season. We will continue to work diligently with state and local agencies to prepare to host fans safely. To achieve our goal of a full stadium, we encourage everyone in our community to get vaccinated and continue following the best practices recommended by public health authorities.

Our plan for the 2021 season includes a full capacity while maintaining necessary and expected protocols that allow for the safest possible environment for all guests. As you know, we hosted a limited number of fans for games last year, which allowed us to implement many new safety procedures that will be permanent going forward. These include contactless entry via mobile ticketing and touchless kiosks, cashless purchasing throughout the stadium and enhanced sanitization measures.

We are seeing many successful and safe outdoor events taking place throughout the country, starting with Super Bowl LV in February, which safely hosted 25,000 fans. All Major League Baseball teams are hosting fans on a limited basis and, as restrictions are relaxed, will be looking to increase their capacities throughout the summer. Pimlico's Triple-Crown Preakness event will host fans in a few weeks, and local outdoor amphitheaters, such as Merriweather Post Pavilion, will begin hosting events in July. These trends are encouraging and give us confidence in our preparation.

The NFL schedule release is set for May 12, and single-game ticket sales will begin soon after that announcement. Season ticket renewals will wrap up that week, as well, and then we can set our sights on training camp activities to get us back to football.

We will continue to provide updates as the season gets closer. Please know that we appreciate the patience and support you have shown throughout the last year. We will remain flexible, but are optimistically looking forward to having everyone back with us this season to create that M&T Bank Stadium energy we all miss.

Sincerely,

Dick Cass