Chiefs are the first NFL team to announce a reduced fan policy for 2020 season

The Kansas City Chiefs have a plan in place for reduced capacity crowds.

If Arrowhead Stadium isn’t packed to the brim this year, the Kansas City Chiefs have that covered.

The reigning Super Bowl champions announced on Wednesday what their plans were if NFL games were to be paid with reduced capacity crowds. The Chiefs sent out a detailed message on their team website about what season ticket holders should expect if social distancing results in sparsely attended games.

“People around the country and around the world are getting accustomed to a constantly changing environment and the same goes for all of us in Chiefs Kingdom,” Chiefs President Mark Donovan said.

“While our goal all offseason was to have a full stadium as we begin our Super Bowl title defense, it is out of consideration of the health and safety of our fans, employees, coaches and players that we move forward with a reduced-capacity plan that adheres to local guidelines and expert recommendations.”

“As we looked at ways to navigate this unusual season, our first priority was to offer a fair and flexible plan for our loyal and valued Season Ticket Members, and we believe we accomplished that. While it will be a different experience for everyone, we are looking forward to welcoming fans to Arrowhead this fall.”

Here are the plans in place for reduced crowds at Arrowhead Stadium.

Per the post on the Chiefs’ team site:

• STMs will be automatically included in a single-game presale for any available seats in 2020, once a final capacity is determined.
• Their credit can be utilized to purchase single-game tickets for a reduced-capacity 2020 season, if they choose.
• They will receive their 2020 Season Ticket Member box with exclusive gifts.
• STM pricing will remain flat for 2021 and they will accrue a year of STM tenure for the 2020 season, regardless of if they attend any games or not in 2020.
• In the event that the club is permitted to host a full-capacity crowd for any potential playoff games, STMs that did not opt for a refund will be given the first opportunity to purchase their seats.
• Parking or hospitality club passes purchased as part of a Season Ticket Membership can be managed exactly like tickets – either as a credit for 2021 or a full refund, if requested.

As expected, the season ticket members have top priority in all this. Having the 2020 season payment automatically be deferred to the 2021 campaign is a heads up move, albeit an expected one. Even if members of Chiefs Kingdom want to opt-out of 2020 and get a refund, they will still be able to have their season tickets at their same seats in 2021.

This looks to be a well-thought-out message from a first-class organization like the Chiefs. Hopefully, other organizations take the Chiefs’ lead here an enact similar protocols at their respective stadiums. Though every part of the country has been impacted by the coronavirus differently, all parts of the United States have been majorly impacted by COVID-19.

With the Chiefs leading by example, expect other organizations to follow suit.