DeSantis wants fans at Buccaneers games as Florida enters Phase 3 of its reopening
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis continued to drive his point home Friday that he’d like to see Bucs games at Raymond James Stadium opened to fans.
During a news conference at which he announced that bars and restaurants can operate at full capacity as the state moves into Phase 3 of its reopening plan, the governor said that he’d like to see the Bucs make home games accessible to fans.
Before the season began, the Bucs announced they would not have fans in the stands for the first two home games: this past Sunday’s opener against the Panthers and Oct. 4 against the Chargers.
The earliest the Bucs could have fans in the stands is Oct. 18, when they host the Packers. The team has yet to announce whether that will happen or offer any single-game purchasing opportunities.
“I fully understand, and we will work with them,” DeSantis said. “They want to go slower than anyone. So it’s not like they want to have full capacity. But I think you can do much more than what’s been done. Outdoor transmission (of the coronavirus) has just not been a major factor.
“It doesn’t mean it can’t happen. It doesn’t mean there aren’t things that you can think about in some of these venues. But I’d like to have everyone have fans in some capacity and then let’s build going forward.”
The state’s other two NFL teams – the Miami Dolphins and Jacksonville Jaguars – both played their first home openers in front of fans with limited capacity.
Raymond James Stadium was being re-situated for fans during a scrimmage last month, with seats zip-tied to create pods of open seats for social distancing.
DeSantis said he’s believes fans want to attend Bucs games to watch Tom Brady play in person, but also noted it is important to have fans in the stands to show the NFL that Tampa can host the Super Bowl in February.
“I’ve supported that. It’s not really a question of government. It’s really what the league’s been comfortable with,” he said. “I very much support the Bucs having fans. We expect to do a full Super Bowl, and we’re going to show that we’re going to be able to do that.
“I think they can still do that. And I know there’s some issues about insurance and all these other things, and I respect that and maybe we’ll address that after the election here in Florida with the new legislature. But yeah, I think it’s important.”