Vikings throw in the towel...

[purplefaithful]

Minnesota Vikings give up on plans to bring fans back to games this seasonMinnesota Vikings fans won't be allowed to view games in-person this season, the team said Wednesday, dropping its effort to reopen U.S. Bank Stadium to the public as Covid-19 cases surge throughout Minnesota.

The Star Tribune reports on the announcement from the team, which said in a statement, "closing the final four home games to fans is the right decision to help protect our community."
The Vikings haven't had any fans at games so far this season, but had held out hope that the state would relax rules on public gatherings enough to bring in small crowds for some of the later games. Most NFL teams began the season without any crowds, but a few have since opened stadiums to relatively small groups — generally a few thousand, though the Dallas Cowboys are hosting crowds as big as 22,000. 
But a sharp increase in Covid-19 cases in Minnesota seems to have put an end to that effort. The state reported 56 new deaths from the virus on Wednesday — a single-day record, MPR reports— as well as an increase in the positive test rate and a record number of hospital admissions. Gov. Tim Walz announced new restrictions on bars, restaurants and event venues, aiming at slowing the spread of the disease.
Other teams are also cutting back on attendance plans
The Vikings will still allow as many as 250 friends and family members of players into games.
https://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/n..._testId=40&cx_testVariant=cx_46&cx_artPos=1#cxrecs_s

[Guest]

No SKOL: Fans won't be allowed in U.S. Bank Stadium for the remainder of the 2020 season, Vikings sayThe team has four home games left this year.You're going to have to wait until next year, Minnesota Vikings fans — not in terms of winning games, but attending them.

The Vikings blew the whistle Wednesday on their hopes of bringing fans back to U.S. Bank Stadium during the 2020-21 season. Rising COVID-19 infection rates forced the call.
"Closing the final four home games to fans is the right decision to help protect our community," the team said in a statement released Wednesday morning.
With virus infections surging across much of the country, the Vikings didn't have much choice. Gov. Tim Walz on Tuesday imposed new restrictions on gatherings in bars, restaurants and even homes to contain the fast-spreading virus that has left Twin Cities metro area hospitals with fewer than two dozen available intensive-care beds.
So the Vikings will continue as they have for much of the season, allowing only the allotted 250 friends and family members into the games to sit socially distanced in the southwestern section of a stadium that can accommodate 67,200 fans.
The Vikings aren't the only team forced to keep fans out. The New England Patriots announced Monday that fans wouldn't be allowed at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., for the remainder of the season. 
Teams in states with bigger stadiums or looser restrictions have been able to get thousands inside, but no one is playing before capacity crowds.
"While we have worked hard to develop a safe and responsible plan to bring back a limited number of fans, our decisions have been based on medical guidance with public health as the top priority," the Vikings' statement said.
Early on, Walz said that letting fans return to large indoor sports and concert venues would be among the final steps in the pandemic recovery. U.S. Bank Stadium may feature giant doors, a translucent roof and a state-of-the-art air filtration system, but it's still an indoor venue.
Vikings staffers spent months devising elaborate plans to segregate the stadium into seven self-contained pods, each with its own concessions and restrooms.
Tickets would have assigned entry times and designated gates, and fans would have to remain within their pod. There were to be sanitizing stations every few steps and plenty of ushers strictly enforcing masking and social distancing.
But now it's wait until next year and see whether those plans get dusted off or scrapped. While the Vikings said they "look[ed] forward to welcoming fans back next season" to U.S. Bank Stadium, they acknowledged the return of fans to the stadium in 2021 wasn't a sure thing.
In the meantime, the team encouraged fans to "take the necessary precautions ... by wearing face coverings, practicing proper social distancing and limiting social gatherings."
The Vikings play Monday night at Soldier Field in Chicago, another city with new virus restrictions, before returning to Minneapolis to host the Dallas Cowboys on Nov. 22, the Carolina Panthers on Nov. 29, the Jacksonville Jaguars on Dec. 6 and the Bears on Dec. 20.
https://www.startribune.com/vikings-fans...573041451/

[Guest]

Yeah I figured that was what was going to happen. It makes sense. Maybe next year.

[Guest]

Vikings and partners stand to lose more than $92M in revenue with fan-less gamesPatrick RehkampNov 12, 2020, 1:50pm CST

The Minnesota Vikings on Wednesday officially dashed any hope of letting fans inside U.S. Bank Stadium for the remaining 2020 season due to spiking Covid-19 rates in Minnesota. 
As a result, the team and its corporate partners stand to lose roughly $92.4 million in game day-related revenue, according to the 2020 Fan Cost Index (FCI)by Team Marketing Report, a Chicago-based sports-business intelligence firm. The majority of the shortfall stems from lost ticket sales, which are calculated at roughly $75 million from the eight regular season games, according to Team Marketing Report. 
It should be noted the $92.4 million is a top-line figure and includes losses suffered by corporate partners as well as the team. It does not includes in-game sponsorship and advertising losses. The actual net income loss for the Vikings is unknown, and the organization did not respond to an inquiry.
The Vikings rank in the middle in terms of losses in the National Football League. The FCI report also shows that the NFL overall will absorb a pandemic-adjusted $2.7 billion deficit from not having fans, or only a few fans, at games. 
Unlike other pro sports leagues impacted by Covid-19, the NFL is paying players full wages this season. NFL players deemed to be high risk of complications from Covid-19 (autoimmune disorders, diabetes, heart issues, etc.) could opt out of the year and receive $350,000 and an accrued season that will count towards free agency. The team will also give them full benefits. Players that opted out of the season and are low or non-risk receive $150,000, but will not accrue a season. If a player does not make the roster next year, he must pay the money back to the team.
Micheal Pierce, a defensive tackle the Vikings signed in the offseason, will be affected the most financially since he opted out of the season because of his asthma. Pierce agreed to a three-year deal worth $27 million with a $5 million base salary. Instead, he'll make $350,000 this year. 
Pierce was the only Vikings player to opt out this season, according to the team.
The Vikings have a total team payroll of more than $197 million, which is very close to the NFL salary cap of about $198 million. The team could be in trouble next year with cap space since it's expected to drop due to revenue losses.
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