The Las Vegas Raiders made history Monday when the NFL team staged their first regular-season home game with fans — 61,756 strong — at Allegiant Stadium just west of the Las Vegas Strip.
And here was the twist — the Raiders required all fans who wanted to attend the game to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination before being able to enter the stadium. For fans who hadn’t been vaccinated the team also administered 287 inoculations in a tent outside the domed, 65,000-seat stadium (recently vaccinated fans were required to wear masks while inside, while fully vaccinated fans could go maskless).
Over the weekend ahead of the Monday night game, the Raiders had set up a tent at the stadium where fans could get Covid-19 vaccination shots as well as verify their vaccination status, including help to download the Clear Health Pass app which was the team’s preferred method of verification.
According to the Raiders the vaccination-checking process, which took place before fans went through metal detectors, went as well as could be expected for a first attempt at such a process. Some fans told LVSportsBiz.com that in some cases team personnel did not check their vaccination cards.
Currently, the Seattle Seahawks and the New Orleans Saints also plan to check for vaccinations at upcoming home games for those teams. Both those teams, however, also plan to allow in fans who only have a recent negative Covid-19 test. The Raiders are the sole NFL team to have all attendees be required to show proof of vaccination.
The historic matchup yielded an electric, rollercoaster of a game as the Raiders rallied for a 33-27 win in overtime. Before the Monday Night Football game, there were about 40 anti-vax protesters outside Allegiant Stadium who opposed the Raiders’ vaccination requirement policy.
UPDATE, 9/17/21: The Raiders have posted some stats about the first game, including claiming 50,000 uses of the Clear Health pass and said that approximately 6,000 fans obtained their first shot in the days ahead of the game.
Alan Snel publishes LVSportsBiz.com, which covers the sports industry and stadiums in Las Vegas from the business and marketing angle. This is his first story for Stadium Tech Report.
