The Kansas City Chiefs are 10-1 through the first three months of the "Run It Back" campaign, and with the homestretch now underway, the reigning Super Bowl champions have their sights on the postseason.
Kansas City owns a four-game lead in the AFC West heading into Sunday's matchup with the rival Denver Broncos and can wrap up a fifth-straight division title with a victory and a Las Vegas Raiders' loss, securing at least one playoff game at Arrowhead Stadium in the process.
In fact, with the added playoff team in each conference and only one first round bye - as outlined in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement - division winners can potentially host as many as three postseason contests. That means all preparations include the possibility of playoff games at Arrowhead Stadium in three consecutive weekends from January 9-24.
It's something the Chiefs are ready for, too.
Sunday's matchup with Denver will mark the sixth regular-season game and eighth overall event in which the Chiefs have hosted fans at Arrowhead Stadium during the COVID-19 pandemic. In partnership with local health officials, the Chiefs have executed a health and safety plan throughout the season and will have hosted more than 100,000 fans prior to the playoffs.
"We had many discussions early on about how exactly this was going to work, and working with local health officials and a number of other experts in this area, we felt that we could do it safely," said Chiefs President Mark Donovan. "It was really important to us to do everything possible to have fans in the building for this season."
According to Donovan, the Chiefs have spent more than $1 million in safety-related preparations in order to host fans with the added guidelines and protocols, all of which aim to create the safest possible environment for fans and staff.
And while this is uncharted territory, fan feedback has been overwhelmingly positive throughout the season. Through post-game questionnaires of fans who have attended games, including the league's "Voice of the Fan" survey, attendees have consistently expressed their appreciation for the ability to watch the Chiefs in person in the safest way possible.
Additionally, fan experiences related to parking, stadium entry, concessions and restrooms have all ranked higher compared to past seasons due to the reduced attendance and lack of wait times.
The Chiefs plan for all of these efforts to continue in the postseason as Arrowhead Stadium will again host upwards of 16,000 fans per game. Tickets for all games will go on sale beginning Monday, Dec. 7, with priority access given to Season Ticket Members that kept their membership for the 2020 season.
Those Season Ticket Members will have the ability to reserve a "Playoff Pack" with no money down that includes tickets to all potential games, and their method of payment will only be charged when a game is confirmed. The Playoff Pack allows Season Ticket Members to hold their seats for each available game at the lowest possible price, only requiring payment when each respective game is locked in place.
If any tickets remain after the Season Ticket Member pre-sale, individual game tickets will be available to the general public on Friday, Dec. 11 at 12 p.m. CT.
It all wraps up into an opportunity to not only watch the Chiefs' pursuit of a second-consecutive title in person, but also to help fuel that mission along the way.
"Even with a reduced capacity, our fans have made a noticeable difference for our team. We really appreciate their commitment throughout the season," Donovan said. "We have a lot of plans to make this a memorable postseason while supporting our ultimate goal to 'Run It Back.'"
