The New Orleans Saints won't be offering opt-outs for fans in the 2021 season, even for those who object to the city's new requirements to verify vaccine status before entering the building.
Related
Related
Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry had a one-word response for that policy, first reported by WDSU earlier this week.
"Unacceptable," Landry posted to social media, referencing the story and calling for the state bond commission to block any funding requests for the Superdome until the policy is changed.
"Taxpayers should not continue to fund your projects with policies like this," Landry continued.
The team is operating in lockstep with city and state mandates relative to the coronavirus pandemic, but the lack of an opt-out policy is a change from the 2020 season that was played in front of a reduced capacity crowd or none at all.
The team is expecting full capacity for the 2021 season, with its first preseason home game scheduled for Monday against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Fans in attendance will have to prove their vaccination status or a negative COVID test taken within the prior 72 hours, and everyone in the building will be required to wear masks.
Related
The Saints have encouraged fans who don't plan to attend games to resell their tickets on the secondary market.
The Superdome is in the process of a $450 million renovation that isn't scheduled to be fully completed until 2025, with a portion of that funding coming from the state. The Louisiana State Exposition District, which manages the Superdome and other State-owned buildings, has a pair of financial recommendations set for a bond commission hearing later this week, according to a report from NOLA.com. One of those recommendations is for a $25 million line of credit for Superdome improvements.
The Saints had not issued any official response to the AG's criticism as of 6 p.m. Wednesday.