We could find out on Tuesday morning if the Pittsburgh Steelers will be able to have fans in attendance for their two October home games at Heinz Field.
According to a Monday night report by WPXI-TV in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf is expected to make an announcement on Tuesday regarding the capacity limits at sporting events in the state. A source reportedly told the station that capacity limits being raised would be based on the size of the stadium and/or arena. Wolf’s news conference will reportedly be at 10 a.m. EST.
This past Thursday, Steelers president Art Rooney II told KDKA Radio during an interview that he thinks the plan the team submitted to the state officials in hopes of having fans soon safely attending games at Heinz Field is a good one and that the hopes are that current orders from both State Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine and Governor Wolf that limit outdoor gatherings in Pennsylvania to just 250 people will soon be raised.
“We think we have a good plan and we’re anxious to get fans back in the building obviously,” said Rooney. “I think our plan calls for around 12,000 fans socially distanced so that would be our starting point.”
On Saturday, the Steelers sent out an email on Friday to season ticket holders in which they provided an update on potentially having fans at their next two home games in the month of October.
“Over the last several months, we have been working to create a safe environment for players, staff and fans within Heinz Field,” the team stated in the email. “We have had productive communications this week with public health authorities to discuss the possibility of hosting a limited number of fans at Heinz Field soon.”
The Steelers next two games are scheduled to be played at Heinz Field against the Philadelphia Eagles and Cleveland Browns, respectively. The game against the Eagles is this coming Sunday while the game against the Browns is scheduled for October 18.
