Cubs and White Sox fans allowed to attend games this season

The Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox will welcome fans back to the stands at some point during the 2021 MLB season.

The coronavirus pandemic took a historic toll on the world in 2020. In the world of sports, it shut things down or altered how games were played and presented. One of the biggest aspects across the board was not being able to have fans in attendance at a lot of events. Now it seems as though we’ll get to test those waters this season with the Cubs and White Sox.

NBC Sports Chicago’s David Kaplan tweeted on Friday to confirm that both the Cubs and White Sox are planning on having at least some of their fan base in attendance when the regular season opens up. Chicago will be on a shortlist of cities that are trying to slowly phase fans into the stands and get back to some form of normalcy.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot expressed optimism when it came to fans coming to Wrigley Field and Guaranteed Rate Field this season, although wouldn’t give a specific time or number of fans that will be allowed inside the gates.

“We’re in discussions with both of the sports teams,” Lightfoot said, via NBC Sports Chicago. “I think they’ve come up with very good plans, and when we are ready, we will announce what the future will look like for other potential spectators in the stands.”

Fans in the stands is a step in the right direction

After playing games in empty stadiums last year, it will be interesting to see how well things go when fans start filing in for the first time this season. The Cubs will open up at home on April 1 against the Pirates, while the White Sox kick off the 2021 season on April 8 against the Royals.

None of Chicago’s pro sports teams have allowed fans in their venues since last March, just prior to the major stretch of the pandemic. While you won’t see packed fans at Wrigley Field or Guaranteed Rate Field, there is a new level of anticipation knowing that this is at least a step in the right direction.

ESPN is reporting spring training is expected to start with limited fans throughout the Florida and Arizona locations, but regulations for the regular season will be determined by local governments.