As the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs will kick off the 2020 season at Arrowhead Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 10 against the Houston Texans in the NFL Kickoff Game.
Fans can find important information and reminders regarding Thursday night's game below.
Banner Night
During pregame, the Kansas City Chiefs will celebrate the franchise's second Super Bowl title with a short on-field ceremony that concludes with the unveiling of a new championship banner inside the stadium. "Voice of the Chiefs" Mitch Holthus will lead the ceremony, which will feature Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt and a special message from Norma Hunt.
The NFL is expected to announce virtual entertainment appearances for the game, including national anthem and halftime performances, tomorrow. The Overland Park Police Department Color Guard will present the nation's colors while a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber from the 509th Bomb Wing based out of Whiteman Air Force Base will conduct at flyover at the end of the national anthem, weather permitting.
Early in pregame, a video showing the traditional Blessing of the Drum and the Blessing of the Four Directions will be played inside the stadium. Due to COVID restrictions, the Blessing was previously recorded at the stadium. Alan Redbird, a member of the Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma, the spiritual leader of the Kansas Native American Color Guard and a Marine Corps veteran who served in Vietnam, performed the blessing.
Social Justice Messaging
A special rendition of "Lift Every Voice and Sing" will be featured during pregame both in-stadium and on the NBC broadcast, and will be celebrated throughout Kickoff weekend. These features will serve to educate on the history of the song and highlight the work of NFL players in their communities. The league's newest brand campaign, "It Takes All of Us," leverages the scale and power of the NFL to unite our country. The season-long campaign will connect all league causes beginning with social justice and honoring those on the frontlines of COVID-19. For the home opener, all NFL fields will feature end zone stencils with the phrases "It Takes All of Us" and "End Racism."
Players and coaches have also been given the opportunity to honor victims of systemic racism and show their support for social justice efforts by displaying names or phrases on helmet stickers and apparel patches. The season-long effort highlights the actions being taken to reach solutions, engages fans to act, and gives players and coaches a platform on gameday to share their voices and efforts to inspire change. Players also have the option to wear a warmup t-shirt during pregame that features unifying messages.
How to Tune In
Fans who are unable to attend Thursday's game can tune into WDAF-FM (106.5 The Wolf), the Home of the Chiefs Radio Network, as "Voice of the Chiefs" Mitch Holthus, former Chiefs WR Danan Hughes and sideline reporter Josh Klingler call the action. Thursday's game will air on NBC (KSHB), with the Sunday Night Football crew of Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya on the call. Tico Sports will produce a Spanish broadcast on Real Country 1030 AM (KCWJ) featuring Enrique Morales, Oscar Monterroso and sideline reporter Hannah Bassham.
Chiefs Reporter Matt McMullen and former Chiefs LB Shawn Barber provide fans with last-minute Chiefs updates on Field Pass, which streams live on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and the Chiefs Mobile app approximately 45 minutes prior to kickoff of every Chiefs home and away game. After the game, fans can tune into Chiefs Rewind on all Chiefs social channels to get live postgame reaction, exclusive interviews and live press conferences.
Stadium Health and Safety Policies
In response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the team remains committed to prioritizing the safety of its fans, staff and players. Under guidelines established by the National Football League, and with the approval of local government and public health officials, the team has a comprehensive COVID-19 health and safety plan for all fans attending games at Arrowhead Stadium this season.
Fans should visit chiefs.com/stadium/covid/ for a complete list of COVID-19 protocols to see what steps the club is taking, how the fan experience will be impacted, and ways fans can protect themselves and others.
Notable changes and policies ticketed guests need to be aware of:
- Know your zone, based on your seating location and found on your ticket, and have a game plan to enter through the assigned parking and stadium gates. Circumnavigation of the stadium is not permitted in order to minimize contact with other guests.
- Wear your masks at all times, even when seated. Fans must wear masks into the stadium, but each fan will receive a mask supplied by the team in their cupholder, presented by T-Mobile.
- Maintain social distancing along your entire journey and wait for aisles to clear before exiting your seats.
- Have patience and know that everyone is in this together. Be a good teammate and help us protect the Kingdom.
Traffic Alert: Road Construction Surrounding Arrowhead Stadium
MoDOT is currently finishing a major construction project on sections of I-435 and I-70 near the Truman Sports Complex that will impact traffic for the home opener. Fans can get more information on the construction project at modot.org/i-435-and-i-70-interchange.
Fans are also reminded that due to this being a mid-week primetime game, stadium traffic will coincide with daily rush hour traffic and vehicle volume may be heavy. Fans are asked to be patient and considerate. For potential traffic impact, fans can review KC Scout cameras at kcscout.net/ or can get real-time updates on the WAZE app.
Parking Gates and Tailgating
Parking lot gates for Thursday's game open at 3:30 p.m. All parking must be purchased in advance as payments will not be accepted at the parking tollgates. All fans will have a designated parking entrance based on their seat location that will put them in close proximity to their designated entry zone. All parking for the 2020 season will be general (red) parking and is only open to ticket holders. Tailgating is permitted, but vehicles will be parked in an every-other-spot pattern to accommodate social distancing, and tailgating is limited to the individuals who have tickets in the same pod.
To purchase parking passes, view parking zone maps and review all tailgating guidelines, please visit chiefs.com/stadium/parking/.
Stadium Gates
All Arrowhead Stadium gates, including gates for the CommunityAmerica Club Level, will open at 5:30 p.m. for the 7:20 p.m. kickoff.
Hunt Family Foundation 50/50 Raffle
This week's Hunt Family Foundation 50/50 Raffle will benefit organizations in support of racial equity. Tickets are three for $5 and 10 for $10, with a primetime special of 100 tickets for $20.
Fans who are not at Arrowhead Stadium on Thursday can also participate in the Hunt Family Foundation 50/50 Raffle by visiting chiefs.com/fans/5050raffle. Online sales are currently live, but fans must be located in the states of Missouri or Kansas at the time they purchase a ticket online. In-person raffle tickets will remain on sale through the end of the third quarter. The winning ticket will be announced in-stadium and posted online during the fourth quarter of the game and winners do not need to be present to win. Credit cards will be the only form of payment accepted at 50/50 Raffle kiosks.
Safety and Security
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, no bags – including previously approved clear bags, small clutch bags and wallets that can't fit in pockets – will be permitted inside the stadium. Guests should only bring items that can fit into their pockets. For guests with medical- or childcare-related items such as diapers, wipes, formula, bottles or breast pumps, those items must be brought in a clear plastic bag and guests should present their bag to staff during the screening process. Fans can visit chiefs.com/stadium/prohibitedpermitteditems for a complete list of permitted and prohibited items.
If fans have any issues or need assistance, Fan Experience can be reached at (816) 920-4237 or by email at fanexperience@chiefs.com. Beginning four hours prior to kickoff, fans can text "CHIEFS"
Timeline for Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020
3:30 p.m. – Parking Gates Open
5:30 p.m. – All Stadium Gates Open
6:20 p.m. – Team Warm-Ups Begin
6:55 p.m. – "Lift Every Voice and Sing" Performed
7:10 p.m. – Super Bowl LIV Championship Celebration Begins
7:13 p.m. – Super Bowl LIV Championship Banner Unveiled
7:14 p.m. – Chiefs Team Introduction
7:15 p.m. – Texans Team Introduction
7:16 p.m. – Coin Toss
7:19 p.m. – National Anthem
7:22 p.m. – Kickoff
