Packers: There will be no fans in season opener vs. Vikings

There will be no fans in attendance in the Packers’ season opener against the Vikings.

In less than three weeks, the Green Bay Packers travel to U.S. Bank Stadium to take on the Minnesota Vikings in their season opener. It will be one of the most important games of the season for both teams.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be no fans in attendance for the game, the Vikings have announced. The Vikings won’t have any fans in attendance for at least their first two home games of the year, which includes the season opener with the Packers and also a game against the Tennessee Titans.

The Packers, too, won’t have fans in attendance in their first two games of the season at Lambeau Field.

This move isn’t surprising but it will have a big impact on the game. Playing indoors, U.S. Bank Stadium can be one of the loudest venues in the league and it’s never an easy stadium for road teams to visit. The Packers won the NFC North title on the road against the Vikings last season, but this was their first victory at U.S. Bank Stadium in four attempts.

A big part of the Vikings’ home-field advantage is with the noise in their stadium, but that won’t be a factor in the first game of the season.

It’s too early to know whether the Packers will be able to have fans at Lambeau Field at any point in the season, but with the two teams meeting for the second time as early as Week 8, it’s possible that game will also have no fans in attendance.

This will still be one of the toughest games on the schedule for the Packers, but it will be unusual to watch a divisional contest with no fans in the stadium.