The NFL and the Saints expect the Superdome to be rocking come September when they step on the field for the first home game against the Green Bay Packers.
“I’ll be glad when it’s a full stadium. There’s nothing like a full stadium with all the Who Dats in that dome," Ezell Knox aka Soul Saint told WWL-TV.
Meanwhile, The Superdome’s Commission President Kyle France told the station vaccination rates and herd immunity on the part of the populace could play a role in the decision to open up.
“We’re not there yet. Hopefully the people in Louisiana continue to get vaccinated and our numbers will pick up and we’ll be able to go to a Saints game at full capacity.”
France added, "We need to be careful that all of the fans that are coming into that facility are vaccinated."
In a statement, Saints’ Greg Bensel said, “We are planning to play our games this season in front of a full stadium. We are actively working with city and state officials to continue to promote a safe and healthy lifestyle relative to COVID-19 and are encouraging vaccinations for our citizens.”
The Saints now say, however, that despite France's comments... they will not require vaccinations. "The New Orleans Saints have no intention of requiring that our fans provide any confirmation of a COVID vaccination to attend our games. However, we do encourage our fans to get vaccinated," the club said on Twitter.