Selectmen Agree On Patriots' Plan, But Uncertainty Looms Large

FOXBOROUGH, MA – Town officials had already been forced to deal with the prospects of a down year economically because of the impact the coronavirus pandemic has taken on the region and throughout New England.

But at least the town and the region seemingly had the hopes of Patriots football to look forward to on the horizon.

And yet, in a week when Selectmen approved the franchise's plan of allowing up to 14,000 season ticket holders to attend home games at Gillette Stadium, this season, Friday’s announcement that Gov. Charlie Baker is reducing the number that can gather outdoors from 100 to 50 people and is indefinitely postponing the second step of Phase 3 of Massachusetts’ reopening plan due to rising confirmed coronavirus cases has again thrown things into limbo.

“What remains to be seen is how the COVID numbers continue to trend,” Foxborough Town Manager William Keegan wrote in an email to Patch. “Today was a setback for the Commonwealth so we will have to see if this is a temporary or longer-term impact."

Earlier this week, Patriots officials unveiled a comprehensive plan to Selectmen that they say would allow a partial number of season-ticket holders to attend home games at Gillette Stadium. While the NFL has not yet announced plans whether fans will be able to watch games in person across the country, the Gillette plan approved by town officials provided a blue print of what home games would look like as the pandemic continues.

The plan, of course, is contingent on local and state health guidelines. And while it it is unknown what Friday's news means for the NFL as training camps get rolling, team officials remain confident they can move ahead safely.

“We believe we can provide a safe environment,” Jim Nolan, chief operating officer of Kraft Sports Entertainment told Selectmen this week, according to the Sun Chronicle. “We want to do the right thing. We don’t want people coming to Gillette and being at risk.”

Nolan told the board that season ticket holders chosen for each home game will be required to wear face-coverings and remain seated at all times unless walking to a restroom or concession stand. Nolan added that season ticket holders who wish to attend games this season will be contacted by the team in advance of each game and will be assigned a specific seat.

According to the report, Nolan said assigned seats may or may not be in close proximity to the seats season ticket holders have paid for. Any difference in price will be refunded to the ticket holder’s account, Nolan said. Seats not assigned will be zip-tied shut to keep fans from moving to seats not assigned to them, according to Nolan, who also told the board that concessions stands will be distanced from one another and that bathrooms will be staffed by attendants and that partitions will be installed between each sink.

While the plan – which includes free parking – will come to fruition, Keegan said town officials are hoping for the best. But after Friday’s news from Baker, Keegan and other local officials understand that nothing – including an upcoming NFL season – can be set in stone.

“Certainly any time there are events at Gillette Stadium there is a positive impact not only for Foxborough’s economy but the entire region’s,” Keegan said. “The Town has planned for a down year budgetarily based on what we know now but if progress is made on the treatment and prevention of the virus, that will surely be reflected positively on our financial projections.”