Bengals notify season ticket holders of mask requirement, other safety protocols for 2020 season

Paul Brown Stadium will look a bit different this year for Cincinnati Bengals fans

CINCINNATI — Bengals season ticket holders were given a glimpse into what the Paul Brown Stadium experience will be this year. The club emailed an update on Friday, outlining some of the safety measures they're implementing for the 2020 season. 

The Bengals will require fans to wear face coverings while inside the stadium. In addition, tailgating in parking lots is prohibited. Stadium capacity will be reduced, with the first eight rows of the lower level being blocked off, and fans are expected to adhere to social distancing guidelines that the general public has become accustomed to during the COVID-19 pandemic.

While reduced capacity was to be expected, the Bengals organization has yet to detail what the capacity will actually be.

“If we have approval to host fans at games,” the club added, “we will undergo a stadium-wide re-seating process for all Season Ticket Members.”

Recently, the Baltimore Ravens announced they would only allow 14,000 people to attend each home game.

The Bengals previously communicated to their season ticket holders that they have the ability to opt out of the 2020 season without risking their 2021 privileges. Friday’s email offered a prompt that ticket holders could select, should they wish to opt out of their commitment for the year. 

Ticket holders that still intend on attending games were advised of a re-seating plan, which is expected to be communicated in August. Once the plan is announced, fans will still have the option of opting out of their tickets and receiving a full refund.

As more NFL teams begin implementing safety measures within their stadiums, the commonalities are becoming apparent. There will be less people and those that attend will be wearing masks and strict social distancing guidelines will be in place.

There’s no guarantee fans will be allowed to attend games in 2020, but it’s becoming clearer what they will be walking into if the gates do open this year.