So you’re going to Sporting KC’s home game Tuesday? Here’s what you need to know
For the first time since March 7, Sporting Kansas City will return to the field at Children’s Mercy Park Tuesday night to host the Houston Dynamo.
Thanks to its experience at the MLS is Back tournament last month in Florida, the team is well-accustomed to playing soccer games in the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
But Tuesday night will offer a new experience, and with it a challenge for the club: Fans, at 14 percent of normal capacity (or about 2,500 of them), will be allowed back in the stands for the first time under COVID-19 guidelines. It’ll be the first major pro game or match with fans in the KC area since the pandemic began.
Naturally, things will look and work a little differently as those fans arrive and get settled into the stadium.
Upon arrival
Fan parking will be provided in lots Blue 1 and Blue 2, which are situated along State Avenue next to Kansas Speedway. Parking spots will be separated by an empty spot between every car and, unlike the scene that will unfold soon at Kansas City Chiefs games, tailgating will not be permitted.
Fans will also be asked to arrive at the stadium within certain time slots, dependent upon where they’re sitting once inside the stadium.
“I’m just making (this example) up, but if you’re in (Section) 101 you may be required to come in between 6 p.m. and 6:15 p.m., and if you’re (Section) 134 that may be between 6:15 and 6:30,” Sporting KC CEO and president Jake Reid said. “The point being, we don’t want a massive rush.”
Upon arrival at the gates to enter Toyota Plaza in front of the stadium, fans will notice stickers on the ground asking them to remain six feet apart while awaiting entry.
Once they reach the front of the line, fans will be given a temperature check. If the temperature reading comes back below 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, he or she will be allowed into the stadium. If a temperature comes back higher, the fan will be given the chance to cool down briefly underneath a tent before being checked again.
“As we’ve talked to some of the other teams, not shockingly if it’s 95 degrees (outside) and you walk five minutes from your car, you might be sweating,” Reid said. “So we expect some people might be hot at first pass; we’ll test (them) again, and as long as they’re under that temperature (100.4F) they’re good to go.”
If a fan tests over 100.4 a second time, he or she will be asked to leave the stadium.
All tickets are virtual so fans can pull them up on their phones and limit contact between themselves and game-day staff.
The club has also instituted a clear-bag policy so bag searches require less contact, and walk-through metal detectors, rather than wands, will be used to keep distance between fans and staff.
Face masks will also be required at all times while in the stadium and should only be removed when eating and drinking.
Once in the stadium
Along the concourse around the stadium, additional stickers indicate which direction foot traffic should flow. There will be two columns of movement around the stadium so fans are better separated on the concourse, based on the direction they are walking.
All concession stands will be open so fans will be spread around the stadium rather than converging to just a couple of locations. Social-distancing stickers are in place on the ground in front of each stand, and if a line gets too long and impedes the flow of pedestrian traffic on the concourse, fans will be asked to return later or try another stand.
Plexiglass barriers divide fans and concessions workers, all payment will be by credit card only and even the stations have been spread six feet apart.
Perhaps most revolutionary for the stadium, fans can now order food from their phones and then just pick it up and leave to avoid waiting in lines.
“We really revamped this at the beginning of the year, which in hindsight is now even better because it allows us to break down the line: easy pickup, easy access,” Reid said. “We are heavily encouraging fans to take advantage of that ... it’s a great process to be able to implement already.”
Bathrooms are also distanced — every other stall, urinal and sink is blocked off.
Seating groups will be spread across all four stands in the stadium, with six feet of space on either side and 8.5 feet above and below. Most groups will consist of no more than two to four people, but Reid said that the club has the capability to create a group of up to 10 fans if necessary.
As for fans who aren’t following the rules?
“Ultimately, if it gets to that, I’ll call it a ‘three strikes and you’re out rule.’ At some point, we will have to ask security to step in,” Reid said. “We’re hopeful that that doesn’t take place, but we are prepared for that.”
After the game
Fans will be dismissed based on where they are sitting. All guidelines will still be in place, including those directing foot-traffic flow, encouraging social distancing and mandating the wearing of masks.
And all of these guidelines will remain in place for Sporting’s next three home games: Houston Tuesday, FC Dallas on Sept. 2 and Minnesota United on Sept. 13.
Sporting KC officials noted that these health and safety protocols, as well as the number of fans who are allowed to attend the three matches, are subject to change based on the success of their first forays into welcoming spectators back to Children’s Mercy Park.
This story was originally published August 25, 2020 at 5:00 AM with the headline "So you’re going to Sporting KC’s home game Tuesday? Here’s what you need to know."