Colts: Indy still holding out hope for fans at home opener

The Colts are still hopeful a portion of fans will be permitted inside Lucas Oil Stadium for their 2020 home opener.

With the start of the NFL regular season rapidly approaching, teams around the league should have a legitimate plan in place as it pertains to what percentage of fans (if any) will be allowed inside stadiums amid the coronavirus pandemic.

When it comes to the Indianapolis Colts, they announced back in late July that they were anticipating a 25% capacity to be permitted at Lucas Oil Stadium during the 2020 season. Such a limit would fit a maximum of approximately 17,000 fans inside the 67,000-seat venue.

Fast forward to the last day of August, however, and Indianapolis has understandably tempered expectations. According to CBS4’s Mike Chappell, the franchise believes it could safely fill 15% of the stadium’s capacity.

But for the home opener! Wow. That’s big.

The Colts’ 2020 slate will begin on the road in Jacksonville on Sept. 13, and they will return to Indy for their home opener in Week 2 in a matchup against Minnesota. Up until this point, 24 of the league’s 32 teams have announced they won’t permit fans inside stadiums for at least the start of the campaign.

Fortunately for Indianapolis, it seems like the team will be familiar with the unprecedented atmosphere of a limited crowd by the second game of the season as the Jaguars, in accordance with public health officials and local authorities, currently plan to allow 25% capacity at TIAA Bank Field.

"“We just appreciate the patience and the understanding of the fans because the news on this changes every day. Our fans are our most important thing to us. So we want them along for the journey, and we hope that as many of them can come along with us as possible,” said Colts Vice President of Communications Steve Campbell."

This update is obviously subject to change, but fans in Indianapolis could end up having a chance to watch their beloved Colts in person this season. That’s pretty amazing when you consider where the country was at in terms of positive COVID-19 cases a few months ago.