The 49ers organization reached out to season ticket holders to update them on potential options for the 2020 season.
Given the current state of things, it’s no surprise the question of whether San Francisco 49ers fans, or any other fans for that matter, will be able to see sports live and in-person soon is one of many questions swirling.
COVID-19 has not only canceled and delayed seasons for the NBA, NHL, MLS, and various other leagues not only in the United States but around the world, with the NFL sitting back to watch how those leagues handle the restarts.
This is especially true when considering how all the other sports are playing or will play in front of empty stadiums, something the NFL has yet to officially comment on in great detail, although NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has stated he hopes the league will be able to have fans in attendance.
During a late-June conference call, Goodell said the league planned to “get ready for games at our stadiums and to engage our fans both in stadiums and through our media partners.”
Whether that will be an actual option remains to be seen, but for their part, the San Francisco 49ers have begun to develop plans for any way the fan question could go once the NFL season gets started this September.
In an email to season ticket holders, the organization stated, due to state guidelines, the Niners “may not be able to host fans in a full or limited capacity this season” and offered the option of a refund of the price paid for the 2020 season or to credit the 2020 season price toward the 2021 season.
While season ticket holders will be able to purchase tickets if the team is allowed to have fans at Levi’s Stadium in any capacity for 2020, electing to take the refund does mean they won’t have “preferred access to available tickets for this season.”
Electing the refund will also not impact a season ticket holder’s “account seniority or seat location.”
Although this doesn’t give us a clear indication of how the 49ers plan to handle the question of whether fans will watch their team live at Levi’s in 2020, it does shed light on the fact that the organization is aware that this will no doubt be an unprecedented season.
Time will tell if Levi’s has fans in 2020, but this email suggests a plan is in place for the stadium to possibly be empty — save for players, coaches, and other team personnel — this season.