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FILE - In this Feb. 3, 2020 file photo NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell speaks during a news conference in Miami. The NFL has set protocols for reopening team facilities and has told the 32 teams to have them in place by May 15. In a memo sent by Goodell and obtained Wednesday, May 6, 2020 by The Associated Press, several phases of the protocols were laid out. The first phase would involve a limited number of non-player personnel, initially 50 percent of the non-player employees (up to a total of 75) on any single day, being approved to be at the facility. But state or local regulations could require a lower number. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, file)Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

NFL's Roger Goodell Talks COVID-19 Vaccines; Fan Capacity for Super Bowl LV

Joseph ZuckerDec 14, 2020

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has yet to make a final decision on any attendance restrictions for Super Bowl LV on Feb. 7 in Tampa, Florida.

"We're going to try to bring in as many fans as we can safely do into Raymond James Stadium," Goodell told reporters Monday. "I'm not sure there is a specific number that we are confident saying, 'This is what it will be,' but obviously our focus will be on keeping them safe, whoever's in."

Starting in October, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis allowed sports franchises across the state to set their own guidelines regarding attendance. Still, none of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins or Tampa Bay Buccaneers is averaging a quarter of its maximum capacity.

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"The governor's been very supportive of the Super Bowl," Goodell said. "He's been very supportive of that, but he also understands the importance of doing it safely and responsibly. They have been very supportive, and we appreciate that."

The development and distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine have raised a general level of optimism. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, projects the vaccine will be widely available to the point of achieving herd immunity by late spring or early summer.

Goodell confirmed the NFL doesn't intend to make itself a priority group for vaccinations in preparation for the Super Bowl.