ARLINGTON, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys today announced the club's Safe Stadium Policy for AT&T Stadium and the return of football during the 2020 NFL season.
"These are challenging and unprecedented times for our country, our community, and our Cowboys fans at home in Texas and all around the world," said Charlotte Jones, Dallas Cowboys Chief Brand Officer. "Amidst the difficulties brought on by COVID-19, our focus has been to safely bring football back to our community. We are deeply grateful for the patience, understanding, and support our fans have shown during these historic and turbulent times as we continue to prepare for a successful season. Bringing football back will require the ultimate team effort, and we are so proud of the hard work our front line professionals have put in at the stadium and across our organization to ensure our fans, players, and employees have a safe and rewarding experience. The Dallas Cowboys value health and safety as our first priority, and we will continue to work closely with local public safety and public health professionals, the CDC and the NFL to ensure that our unrivaled fan experience at AT&T Stadium is the safest and best it can possibly be. There will be many changes this year, and we are deeply grateful for the understanding and support from our dedicated fans."
Several months ago, the Dallas Cowboys say they began a comprehensive and thorough review of AT&T Stadium, team operations, and every aspect of the fan experience – from food and beverage service, to parking, ticketing, tailgating, medical services, transportation, and player safety among many other areas. Throughout this process, the Cowboys say they have worked hand-in-hand with the NFL, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the State of Texas, local public safety and public health officials – including healthcare experts from the medical and infectious disease communities – to ensure that the upcoming season would have the safest possible fan experience. As part of this work and preparation in recent months, AT&T Stadium has received the prestigious GBAC STARTM accreditation from the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC), which the stadium is receiving because of their best-in-class proactive practices in cleaning, disinfection, and infectious disease prevention.
There will be several important new changes with the fan experience at AT&T Stadium this season.
These changes include:
- Limited Stadium Capacity: Capacity at AT&T Stadium will be limited to start the 2020 season, in accordance with guidelines from the CDC, the State of Texas, local public safety and public health authorities. Fans are required to practice social distancing inside and outside of AT&T Stadium, including parking lots, entry queues and seating. With 15 dedicated entries and exits, in addition to the 3 million square feet of club, concourse and corridor space, fans will have ample space to practice social distancing. Weather permitting, AT&T Stadium's unique retractable roof and end zone door design gives the ability to maximize fresh air flow throughout the building, along with the capability of circulating 840,000 cubic feet per minute (CFM) of fresh air through its mechanical system.
- Mask Policy: Consistent with NFL and local Public Safety and Health policy, all fans will be required to wear a mask when transiting from their personal or public transportation to AT&T Stadium including while in stadium parking lots. In addition, all fans and stadium employees will be required to wear a mask at all times, except when they are actively eating or drinking or if under 10 years of age.
- Seating: Tickets will be distributed in seat blocks known as "pods" to maintain distance between groups who are not known to one another. Fans are required to maintain pod integrity by only transferring tickets to family or friends within their trusted group. Each ticket holder should have their own mobile ticket on their device.
- Mobile-Only Ticketing: Beginning this season, all tickets at AT&T Stadium will be digital and available through fans' mobile devices. Tickets purchased from the Dallas Cowboys will be available via the Dallas Cowboys or SeatGeek mobile app. In order to provide a contactless experience for fans, there will no longer be physical tickets.
- Cashless Experience: Beginning this season, all food, beverage, parking and retail will become a cashless experience. Major credit and debit cards, as well as mobile pay will be accepted throughout AT&T Stadium.
- Frictionless Entry: Fans will have frictionless entry to stadium parking lots and will go through a frictionless security scan using 60 socially distanced metal detectors to enter AT&T Stadium. We will take every step possible to ensure ingress and egress at each of AT&T Stadium's 15 entries is smooth, swift, and safe.
- Tailgating: Designated spaces for tailgating will be available in select AT&T Stadium lots. To promote physical distancing, at least one space between vehicles is required in the tailgating spots and parties will not be permitted to comingle.
- Stadium Cleaning: AT&T Stadium will be following guidelines from the CDC and has consulted outside medical and infectious disease experts to put a thorough cleaning and disinfecting plan in place using single-use microfiber wipes, single-use microfiber mop heads and EPA registered products including electrostatic and fogging sprays. Procedures include cleaning and disinfecting prior to every event, as well as disinfecting high touchpoint areas regularly throughout events. Fans will have access to over 300 additional hand sanitization stations located throughout AT&T Stadium.
- Staffing Protocols: Front-line stadium employees are working hard to prepare for this season, and we will be providing them with all possible assistance to help them safely do their jobs. This includes providing them with special training on CDC recommended guidelines, as well as the personal protective equipment (PPE) necessary to do their job, including masks and other specialized equipment. Vendors working at AT&T Stadium will be abiding by all stadium health and safety policies.
- Food and Beverage: Staff at concession stands, catering spaces, and all bars will be trained on CDC recommended guidelines, wearing personal protective equipment (PPE), following enhanced handwashing procedures and maintaining cleaning and sanitization protocols of food and beverage contact surfaces. All food items will be served in to-go containers along with pre-packaged disposable ware and condiments.
AT&T Stadium will continue to monitor guidelines and protocols from local public health officials and will enhance the Safe Stadium policy as needed. For the latest on AT&T Stadium's Safe Stadium Policy, visit www.dallascowboys.com/safestadium.
