INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts announced Thursday afternoon that 7,500 fans will be allowed to attend their home game against the New York Jets on September 27 at Lucas Oil Stadium.
That’s triple the number of people allowed in for the home opener this Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.
The Colts home opener is a spread-out sellout. The 2,500 available tickets are gone, but most of the 67,000 seats will sit empty.
"We're looking forward to an exciting game,” said Colts Chief Sales & Marketing Officer Roger VanDerSnick. “Obviously, we wish there were more fans. But for the 2,500 fans that come here, they're going to have a really good experience."
While the Colts prepare to battle the Vikings on the field Sunday, stadium officials battle the spread of the coronavirus. The name of the game is social distancing, practicing hard for a clean game.
"It's a really great opportunity for us to show that we can do big events safely,” said Eric Neuberger, Lucas Oil Stadium director. “2,500 is a great place to start. It's going to start when people walk in the door. I think what you'll see here is that our team has been working together really hard to make sure that people feel safe, are safe, and the risk for this virus is as low as we could make it."
Pandemic safety measures include assigned entrances and exits, COVID-19 verbal screenings and temperature checks, masks required except when eating or drinking, pod seating among ticket groups, and no tailgating around the stadium.
All seating will be in the 100 and 200 levels of the lower bowl. Seats close to the field and around tunnels will be tarped off to avoid contact between players and fans.
Cash will not be accepted at the concession stand. Only cards and mobile pay can be used to pay for food and drinks, with an emphasis on closed containers and individual servings.
"It's going to be an education for fans to kind of get used to,” said Justin Kizima, vice president of operations for Centerplate, which operates the stadium food service. “But in an effort to eliminate contact, that's definitely an advantage in our favor for Sunday."
Tickets for the game on Sept. 27 go on sale Friday morning at 10:00. Prices start at $46.