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On Wednesday, the Seahawks made a long-anticipated decision official: for at least the first three home games of the 2020 season, CenturyLink Field will be without fans.
Most teams have made a similar decision, either entirely crossing off the possibility of fans in 2020 or partially, like Seattle. In all likelihood, the Seahawks’ reality for their first three home games will become the reality all season, across the league. So, the league is looking into alternatives.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the NFL is considering a policy that would allow for noise to be pumped into the stadium during games.
Sources: NFL is now considering a league-wide policy that would enable fan sound to be heard in stadiums.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 19, 2020
In May, Fox Sports’ Joe Buck made waves when he mentioned the possibility of fake crowd noise being used on broadcasts, similar to broadcasts of soccer in Europe since the restart. This idea would be another level and allow for some level of home-field advantage to remain on the defense’s side during home games.
While no decision has been made yet by the NFL, with every passing day it appears the league and its teams are preparing for a season to be played without fans in the seats.