Plans to run ‘Death Star’ to full capacity

Article posted by Coliseum, April 13^th, 2021

Image: Allegiant Stadium

The hospitality company MGM Resorts (Founding Partner of Allegiant Stadium) is working with the Nevada (US) Governor, Steve Sisolak, to open Allegiant Stadium at full capacity. This information was given by the President and head honcho of MGM Resorts, Bill Hornbuckle, on April 10^th.

The ‘Las Vegas Review Journal’ quoted Bill Hornbuckle as stating, “I know this Fall we’ll have a full stadium for the Raiders. I’m hoping by July Fourth weekend the community is in a place where we can just do what we normally do and have some fun.”

The 65,000-capacity Allegiant Stadium is a domed stadium located in Paradise, Nevada, United States. It serves as the home stadium for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL), and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Rebels college football team.

The MGM Resorts International is an American global hospitality and entertainment company operating destination resorts in Las Vegas, Massachusetts, Detroit, Mississippi, Maryland, and New Jersey, including Bellagio, Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand, and Park MGM.

The ‘Las Vegas Review Journal’ further stated that if Allegiant Stadium gets the thumbs-up to allow packed house by July, the first major event on the stadium’s calendar is American singer-songwriter Garth Brooks concert on July 10^th. The concert originally was scheduled for February 2020 and the 65,000 seats got sold like hot cakes within 75 minutes.

Las Vegas Raiders President Marc Badain said he shared Hornbuckle’s optimism and said the club will stick to the recommendations of State leaders as regards COVID-19 protocols.

Stated Badain, “We’ll listen to the authorities on that and the medical community. Obviously, everybody wants to get back to live events both in Las Vegas and around the world.”

Badain and the Raiders are looking forward to welcome fans to their spectacular new home. The exhibition season begins in August this year. The regular season kicks off in the second weekend of September.

Added Badain, “As soon as we get the go-ahead, our plan is to open the place up and pack it and bring people to town and have it be the economic stimulus that everybody thought it was going to be.”

Due to the coronavirus scourge, the Raiders’ first season in Las Vegas unfolded in before empty stands in a jaw-dropping facility. Raiders’ owner Mark Davis, not wanting any fans to be deprived of the experience and seeking a level playing field for all, decided not to allow any fans to attend any of his club’s home games until full capacity was permitted.

UNLV’s football team also plays its home games at Allegiant Stadium and welcomed 2,000 fans to each of its two games. The Rebels are scheduled to play six games at Allegiant Stadium in 2021.

Remarked Hornbuckle, “I think very soon we’ll begin to see the next stage. We are all watching, obviously, what happens in the community in terms of infection rates, ultimately what happens in the ICU ward. All of that being said, we’re trending in the right direction.”

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said last month the League expects that stadia across the country will be operating at full capacity – “All of us in the NFL want to see every one of our fans back. Football is simply not the same without fans. We expect to have full stadiums in the upcoming season.”

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