The official attendance figures expected for Super Bowl LV at Raymond James Stadium have been released.
Sunday's bout between Tom Brady's Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Patrick Mahomes' Kansas City Chiefs will include 25,000 fans and 30,000 cutouts, per the NFL.
A season disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic will house the smallest attendance in Super Bowl history. Still, it's a tribute to the league that 25,000 fans are able to gather to watch the Bucs and Chiefs in person at all. Despite the pandemic, the NFL hasn't been forced to cancel a single game this season, which is a credit to the players and league for sticking to the protocols that helped allow games to be played safely.
Of those 25,000 fans expected in attendance will be 7,500 vaccinated health-care workers, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced last week. The decision and plan to allow fans to attend Super Bowl LV was in accordance with public health officials, including the CDC, the Florida Department of Health, and area hospitals and health care systems.
Sunday's season-ending culmination might have fewer fans and a whole lot more cardboard than a normal Super Bowl, but it will be a celebration to remember nonetheless.
