The Las Vegas Raiders became pro football’s first team to require fans to be vaccinated to attend home games this season, the club announced Monday night.
Starting with Las Vegas’ regular-season opener, a Sept. 13 Monday night contest against the Baltimore Ravens, fans entering Allegiant Stadium will need to show proof of full Covid-19 vaccination through the Clear app.
Fans who have not been vaccinated can still attend, as long as they get jabbed on site and wear a mask inside the stadium.
The team said it’s the first NFL team “to announce a vaccine/no mask policy.”
Raiders owner Mark Davis said the team had considered side-stepping the vaccine requirement and just require all fans wear masks, but that plan wasn’t viable.
“It’s just impossible to police and it’s impossible to have, to just make it happen,” Davis told reporters.
The owner acknowledged some Silver & Black faithful will balk at the mandate and thus won’t buy tickets.
“I’m very, vert concerned about that,” Davis said. “Health and safety has always been No. 1 throughout this pandemic with us and we’ve followed every type of edict that came out.”
Fans not old enough to get vaccinated will have to wear masks at games this season, the team said Tuesday.
While there’s no blanket requirement for players to get vaccinated, Raiders President Dan Ventrelle insisted on Tuesday his team is taking it seriously.
“We aren’t permitted to disclose a percentage, but I’ll tell you we’re at the very top of the NFL and we’re proud of that,” he said.
The New Orleans Saints last week issued similar vaccination rules for their fans, but will allow spectators into the Caesars Superdome if they can show proof of a negative Covid-19 test within 72 hours of kickoff.
The Raiders, who had previously made their home in Oakland, Los Angeles and Oakland again, played their first season in Las Vegas in 2020.
But the coronavirus-marred season meant no fans were allowed inside sparkling new Allegiant Stadium. The Raiders played a preseason game against the visiting Seattle Seahawks on Saturday, marking the first time fans were able to see their team in Las Vegas.
Earlier on Monday, MGM Resorts, a major player in Las Vegas hospitality, announced that all salaried employees not working from home must be vaccinated by Oct. 15. And all new hires, salaried and hourly not working from home, must prove they’ve been vaccinated, effective Aug. 30, the hotel giant said.
And organizers of the massive Las Vegas tech conference, the Consumer Electronics Show, announced Tuesday that anyone who wishes to attend Jan. 5-8 event in 2022 must be vaccinated.