The 2020 NFL season was unlike any other in plenty of ways, but as the world has returned to normal, so too will the league and the Detroit Lions this year.
After a season without fans, it’s been revealed that Ford Field will once again be open for business this year at full capacity. The announcement was made by the Lions on Monday, and it comes as welcome news to a fan based that badly missed the chance to connect last fall as COVID-19 was spreading across th ecountry.
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Now, with vaccines in place and life returning to normal, the Lions will be able to welcome fans back for a full NFL experience at the stadium.
The Lions themselves put out a statement on the matter, with team president Rod Wood offering some thoughts about welcoming fans back.
It read:
“We have long awaited the moment where we can officially declare we will have 65,000 fans at Ford Field this fall,” said Detroit Lions Team President and CEO Rod Wood. “We’ve worked diligently with the NFL, as well looked to federal, state and local guidelines to monitor what’s best for our team, staff and fans. We’re thrilled to be at this point and to welcome One Pride back into the stadium. I can’t say it enough, it hasn’t been the same without them.”
Single-game tickets will go on sale July 28 and all of the team’s game day experiences will be coming back as well. Fans who have not been vaccinated are encouraged to wear face coverings, while those who have been vaccinated do not have to wear masks.
In accordance with state and local regulations, the Lions didn’t have fans last season, and a majority of NFL stadiums were quiet. Once again, though, the roars will start to return.
Lions 2021 Training Camp Open Dates
As part of the buildup for the start of the season, fans are also being welcomed back to the team’s training camp. A few weeks ago, the Lions revealed that they would be having open practice and revealed the dates for the event. While training camp was much different last year, this coming summer, fans will be welcomed back on the grounds of Allen Park to watch the team competing and preparing for a new season. There will be a few more rules and regulations than in the past, but at the very least, things will somewhat get back to normal later on this summer.
Tuesday morning, the Lions revealed the dates of their open camp practices as well as updated fans on the procedures for showing up in Allen Park this season.
The dates are as follows:
Both of the practices on July 31 and August 17 are exclusive to season ticket holders only. The rest of the practices are open to the fans, but attendance will be capped daily as part of the league’s protocol. Gates are scheduled to open at 7:30 in the morning and practice will begin at 8:30 in the morning every day, weather permitting. Fans will have to sign and provide proof of a waiver to attend the practices. Autographs will not be permitted, but there will be several other fun events planned and food trucks. For updates on that, parking and more, fans can follow DetroitLions.com this summer to keep up.
Lions 2021 Home Games
Obviously, the goal for the Lions is to rock the home games and make Ford Field a very tough place to play in the league. That will start with the home opener on September 12 against the San Francisco 49ers. From there, the Lions will play multiple big games at Ford Field, hosting the Baltimore Ravens in September, the Bengals and Eagles in October, the Bears in November, the Vikings and Cardinals in December and the Packers in early January. Quite possibly the biggest game is the home opener as well as tilts against the Ravens, Bears on Thanksgiving Day and of course other NFC North grudge matches against rival teams.
In order to try and win these games, the Lions will need their environment to be first class, and that’s the hope with this announcement. With fans packing the stadium, the environment will once again gain some major teeth.
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