Last season, crickets chirped from the, then, Chesapeake Energy Arena. Over the duration of the 2020-21 season, 14 franchises kept their doors open for in-person play. By May, all but three franchises permitted in-person attendance. By the end of the regular season, only one franchise kept their arena tight-lipped from fans — the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Now, the year-long wait is over.
As reported by team release on Tuesday, fans will be required to follow health and safety guidelines to attend the first slate of Thunder home games.
Through the Thunder’s first twelve home games, at the Paycom Center, fans are required to “provide proof or either full or partial COVID vaccination or a negative test taken within 72 hours prior to the game.”
Team-regulated policies extend from the franchises’ October 4 preseason opener until the Thunder face the Washington Wizards on November 26. Health-and-safety guidelines will also be in place for the Thunder’s October 14 meeting at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Fans will have a number of methods to validate partial or full vaccination status including printed or digital photos of CDC vaccination cards, CDC authored negative test results, or uploading proof of vaccination to the Thunder Mobile App. The release also noted a “special website” in which fans can submit documentation.
The Oklahoma City Blue were not noted in Tuesday’s press release, however, the Blue play four games at the Paycom Center during this span, ranging from November 4 until November 14.