The Carolina Panthers have announced that they will not be welcoming fans to Bank of America Stadium for their season opener against the Las Vegas Raiders on September 13th.
The team’s statement doesn’t directly state it, but they all but identify the reason for this decision: The North Carolina government will not allow them to reopen the stadium to fans despite the precautions the team is prepared to take to manage the potential crowd.
It is unclear as yet if the state objects to the general idea of hosting fans or if they have concerns over any of the Panthers specific precautions—or lack thereof.