LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Longing for a sea of silver of black, the Las Vegas Raiders are hoping to pack Allegiant Stadium for games this season after playing to empty stands in 2020.
Raiders General Manager Mike Mayock held a press conference over Zoom Thursday. His focus is mainly on next week’s NFL draft, but 13 Action News also wanted to know what he thinks this year’s games might look like.
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"We were 2-6 at home last year. We were 6-2 on the road last year," said Mayock.
"So, getting fans in those stands is pretty important to us," he added. "We want to turn that stadium into a home-field advantage."
"I can’t speak for player safety, fan safety. That’s for all the government officials and the NFL officials," said Mayock. "All I know, as someone with a vested interest in getting out there in an exciting, filled arena, we can’t friggin’ wait. That place needs to rock and it needs to be a home-field advantage."
You may remember, there were times during last season when Raiders owner, Mark Davis, could've allowed a limited number of fans to attend some home games, but he declined to, saying it was all or none for him, and if fans couldn't fill Allegiant Stadium at 100% capacity, then he wouldn't attend those games either.
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It's still not clear whether the Raiders will require fans to be tested or vaccinated before attending games, or whether social distancing will be enforced inside Allegiant Stadium when fans are allowed inside.
The Raiders still have plenty of time to develop a health and safety plan. The NFL regular season isn't scheduled to start until Sept. 9.
As for the NFL draft, you can watch the first round one week from tonight on ABC channel 13.
