ARLINGTON, Texas — Cowboys fans began arriving at AT&T stadium for their team’s home opener under the strangest of circumstances. Shortly before kickoff the stadium still looked sparsely populated, as the Cowboys prepared to face the Atlanta Falcons.
The team never actually released what the capacity would be for the opener, however, head Coach Mike McCarthy apparently let slip during one of his press conferences during the week before the game that the stadium would be about 25 percent full.
In a release, the Cowboys said, “after consultation with state and local officials, we will start the season with a conservative approach in terms of the number of fans in the stadium, with the hope of being able to expand our seating capacity as the year evolves."
The Cowboys ground level suites and club were covered with tarps and advertising. Seats that were not available were zip-tied closed. The cowboys said the seating configuration involved pods in varying group number in an effort to safely distance fans.
The Cowboys are one of only four NFL teams in week two of the season that will allow fans to attend their game. There are a few other stadiums allowing spectators throughout the season, as well.
