New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has told the Jets and the Giants he would not make an exception for his statewide limit of 500 people at outdoor gatherings — meaning they’ll have to play without fans this season.
According to Steve Politi of NJ.com, the Governor made the decision in conjunction with the teams involved.
“My Administration has been working in close coordination with professional sports and college teams to determine how to proceed safely with games at their stadiums amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,” Murphy said in a statement obtained NJ.com. “While we look forward to the day we can return to games as normal and cheer from the stands, continued concerns for the health and safety of fans, team members, and staff dictate that our executive order limiting outdoor gatherings does apply to sporting events, including training camp.
“We will continue to closely monitor the public health reality and work with health experts to determine how to move forward, and we will continue to work closely with the teams as conditions change. Like all fans across New Jersey, I look forward to watching our teams play from home and plan to be there in person to support the teams when it is safe to do so.”
The limit will also apply to Rutgers football (though it will be far easier to enforce there).
The Jets and Giants are set to report for training camp beginning this week, and the NFL has already declared there will be no fans at camp.
“We support Gov. Murphy’s decision in the interest of public health and safety and, until circumstances change, both the Jets and Giants will play our games without the benefit of fans in attendance,” the NFL teams said in a joint statement. “Although we would prefer to have fans at MetLife Stadium for our games, we will continue to work with Gov. Murphy’s office and will provide updates if necessary.”