CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Browns are set for their first regular season game in 20 months at FirstEnergy Stadium in front of a packed stadium on Sunday. 

Few tickets remain for Sunday’s game meaning the Browns should welcome a crowd of more than 67,000 against the Texans.

What You Need To Know

  • Sunday will be the first regular season game at full capacity in FirstEnergy Stadium since the end of the 2019 season

  • The Browns will not mandate the use of masks within the stadium

  • Tickets can only be accessed through smartphones

  • Many parking lots around the stadium no longer accept cash

Here is what to expect for home games this season:

COVID protocols

FirstEnergy Stadium will be open to full capacity and masks will not be required within the stadium. Last season, stadium capacity was limited to 12,000 spectators with masks required throughout the stadium. 

Although masks aren’t required, the Browns are recommending masks to be worn in indoors sections of the stadium, including the restrooms, elevators and the press box. Masks are also recommended for unvaccinated fans in outdoor areas of the stadium where they cannot maintain physical distancing. 

On Wednesday, Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish issued a mask advisory for the county, calling on universal masking, regardless of vaccination status, in all public indoor spaces within the county. 

“We encourage everyone to seek reliable information on the COVID-19 vaccine,” Haslam Sports Group wrote in a letter to season ticket holders last month. “As our medical partners at University Hospitals have shared, the vaccine is the single best way to combat the pandemic and is critical to keeping our team, families, and the entire Northeast Ohio community as safe as possible.”

Touchless ticketing

Gone are the days of getting a ticket from the box office, or even the days of printing a ticket from a computer. The Browns, like many teams throughout professional sports, are implementing mobile tickets that fans will scan when entering the stadium. 

According to the Browns, tickets on your smartphone will have a rotating barcode that refreshes every 15 seconds. This means screenshots will no longer be able to scan upon entry, the Browns said. 

But what if your phone is cracked, your battery dies or you don’t even have a smartphone? The Browns’ box office can assist fans with reprinting tickets. Customers must have a valid photo ID and the name on the ID must match the account in order to obtain reprinted tickets. 

Tailgating and parking

The city of Cleveland said it has 11 rules that fans must follow while tailgating in the Muni Lot. 

  1. No open pit fires

  2. Propane grills only (no charcoal)

  3. No alcohol

  4. Saving spaces prohibited

  5. You will be charged for all parking spaces that you occupy

  6. No in and out privileges

  7. All litter must be dispensed in trash containers

  8. Vandalism of any type will not be tolerated

  9. Crossing the shoreway is prohibited

  10. No private latrines

  11. Lanes must remain clear of activity at all times

Many lots surrounding FirstEnergy Stadium no longer accept cash. The Browns recommend fans utilize ParkMobile and pre-purchase parking before arriving downtown.

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