NFL owners met virtually on Tuesday at the Annual League Meeting and voted to expand the regular season to 17 games starting this year.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said additional discussions included welcoming back fans and having full stadiums for all 32 teams during this season, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.
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Goodell noted that the NFL had 1.2 million fans in attendance at various games in 2020. He hopes to see stadiums at full capacity in 2021.
RELATED: NFL expands regular season to 17 games per team
On March 24, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced the first fans to be welcomed back at Soldier Field will be there to cheer on the Chicago Fire for the team's home opener on April 17.
Lightfoot said the announcement was made possible by many months of planning, strategizing and evaluating how to welcome fans back into the stands.
NFL
Kickoff for preseason football begins in five months. We hope to see a packed Soldier Field welcoming Chicago's newest draft picks.
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