The Dallas Cowboys will enter the 2021 season, attempting to rebound from a 6-10 record in 2020. Whether they find success remains to be seen, but owner Jerry Jones plans on giving fans an up-close look at each game. He said that he plans on having a full AT&T Stadium each week.
Jones and Dak Prescott met with the media on Wednesday to discuss the massive contract given to the quarterback. However, he also talked about several other aspects of America’s Team. According to Albert Breer of the MMQB, Jones laid out some plans for the 2021 season. He mentioned the number of fans in the building, saying, “We’re gonna have that stadium full, and we’re gonna do it safe.”
Videos by PopCulture.com
In addition to planning for full attendance at the stadium, Jones also said that the plan would be to head back to California. Specifically, the team will likely hold its training camp in Oxnard, California. “I want you guys in Oxnard at training camp and working on stories. Of course, I want you to do a better job on stories on me,” Jones said, per NFL Network’s Jane Slater.
This press conference is not the first time that Jones has spoken about fan attendance amid COVID-19. In early January, he reflected upon the 2020 season and praised the Cowboys for safely playing in front of the league’s biggest crowds. The team averaged 27,377 fans at home games, reaching a peak of 31,700 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The next-closest team was the Jacksonville Jaguars, who averaged 15,919 fans.
“Our stadium is — I’m going to segue for you — but our stadium is a great example,” Jones said in early January. “I think we set, and I’m going to arm-wave, but I think we set the world record for attendance of a venue this year in our stadium, in the middle of a pandemic. The results were extremely safe. My point is we have such a great fan base. We have such a great, if you will, football culture in our market.”
The ability to hold full-capacity games will depend on the COVID-19 numbers in Texas and the guidelines set forth. Gov. Greg Abbott recently lifted the mask mandate and opened all businesses while also recommending that residents continue to wear masks. This news occurred shortly before the Texas Rangers announced that Globe Life Park would welcome full-capacity crowds during the final two exhibition games and the first game of the season.
