National Football League

No Fans at SoFi

Updated Aug. 25, 2020 7:16 p.m. ET

The Los Angeles Chargers and Los Angeles Rams will open their inaugural season at SoFi stadium without fans in attendance due to coronavirus concerns.

The Los Angeles teams and stadium officials released a statement on Tuesday:

The Rams are scheduled to kick off their season in the new venue against the Dallas Cowboys in the Sunday Night Football season opener on Sept. 13.

The Rams averaged 71,229 fans at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum last season, good for 11th in the NFL.

The game will be the first event held at the $5 billion venue on the old Hollywood Park site near The Forum in Inglewood.

Last week, the Rams announced fans could purchase cardboard cutouts of themselves to be placed on the seats to fill stadium seating for the first and subsequent games this season.

Proceeds will be donated to the Los Angeles Rams Foundation, which focuses on poverty, education inequities, food insecurity and homelessness.

In July, the Rams released a statement that the capacity of the 70,240-seat stadium would be limited to approximately 15,000 for social distancing measures amid the pandemic, and face coverings would be required.

There is no timetable currently on when fans will be allowed into the stadium.

The Chargers begin their 2020 home schedule a week after the Rams against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 20.

Since 2017, the Chargers have averaged the least amount of fans at home games in the league. In 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019, the Chargers finished last in attendance.