The coronavirus pandemic has changed a lot when it comes to sports. And that includes the NFL. A lot of teams have been confirming that they will not be starting the season with fans in the stands. Now according to Field Yates of ESPN, the Houston Texans have joined that list. They have confirmed that they will play their first home game (September 20, against the Baltimore Ravens) without fans in the stands.

Houston is not the first team to announce they will start the year without fans. And they probably won't be the last.

However, the NFL is a little different than most other sports.

The NBA, WNBA and NHL have all been playing in “bubbles”. This means the players and coaches are all isolated together, keeping their risk of outbreaks lower. And of course, fans are not allowed.

While the MLB is not in a bubble and the teams are still traveling, the schedule was changed dramatically and travel is kept to a minimum. Again, the stadiums are empty.

Article Continues Below
More Houston Texans News
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) rolls out to throw against the Kansas City Chiefs during the fourth quarter of a 2025 AFC divisional round game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
Texans’ C.J. Stroud gets ‘no concerns’ take from new OCZachary Weinberger ·
Houston Texans former defensive end J.J. Watt in attendance as the Pittsburgh Steelers host the Tennessee Titans.
NFL legend JJ Watt throws down epic dunk during Pat McAfee visitJosh Davis ·
image thumbnail
Texans’ riskiest move in 2025 NFL offseasonDouglas Fritz ·
Iowa State wideout and Houston Texans 2025 NFL Draft pick Jayden Higgins (WO18) during the 2025 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium.
NFL rumors: Texans, Browns the reason 2025 NFL Draft second-round picks aren’t signingTim Crean ·
Nick Chubb in the middle, Bears, Texans, Steelers logos in the background, Cloudy skies in the background
Ranking best Nick Chubb fits late in 2025 NFL free agencyEnzo Flojo ·
image thumbnail
Houston Texans 2 best trade targets to round out 2025 rosterEnzo Flojo ·

The NFL has not changed their schedule at all yet though. They have gotten rid of the preseason, but the regular season and the playoffs still plan on going on as normal as possible.

And while a lot of teams have confirmed they won't have fans to start the year, others have gone the other way. Some teams are stating that they plan to have fans at the start of the season.

And even those teams that have said no fans to start, are specific with the “to start” portion of the statement. For Houston, they have only confirmed the first home game. So clearly they are hoping for some changes and for fans to be allowed soon.

Even without fans, the NFL will be exciting to watch in 2020. The Texans should be entertaining and interesting. And people will still be tuning in to watch.

It should be interesting to see games played without fans for a bit. Hopefully we can get back to normal soon enough though. Clearly, Houston is holding out hope that they can have fans in the stands before the end of the year.