98.5 The Sports Hub staff report
The New England Patriots and New England Revolution will have to get used to empty-stadium contests, as Gillette Stadium will remain completely closed to fans through the NFL and MLS seasons.
“We have recently been informed that the Governor’s Executive Order prohibiting large capacity venues from opening to the public will remain in force for the remainder of the 2020 football and soccer seasons,” the statement read.
Originally closed through September (and then October and now into November), the decision from the state comes amid what’s been a noticeable uptick in coronavirus cases throughout the state, and on the heels of the country’s worst week of infections since the pandemic began this past March.
“We understand that the advisory board, Governor Baker and Lt. Governor Polito made this decision with the health and safety of the community in mind,” the stadium’s statement read. “Still, we know that this decision will be disappointing to the friends and family members of our respective teams and countless Patriots and Revolution Season Ticket Members who were eager to attend games this season.”
While some stadiums have started welcoming back fans to games — most notably, the Jaguars are filling their stadium at quarter-full capacity while the Cowboys have opened their doors to 25,000 people — Foxborough’s Gillette Stadium has remained closed since the start of the season. They’re joined by teams playing in New York and California, among other states, in that respect.
So it’s on to next season, where the stadium and its officials hope for open doors.
“As we turn our focus to 2021, we will continue to work closely with the advisory board to safely reopen our building,” the statement read. “We look forward to welcoming Patriots and Revolution fans back home to Gillette Stadium upon being granted approval next year.”
