After a year-long absence, the San Antonio Spurs are once again welcoming fans back into the arena. On March 12, one year and one day after the NBA shut down due to pandemic, the Spurs will take on the Orlando Magic in front of a (not-at-all) packed house.

“We are thrilled to welcome our fans back to the AT&T Center,” said RC Buford, Spurs Sports & Entertainment CEO, in a release. “We’ve always said we have the best fans in the NBA and playing in an empty arena has reminded us all of how fortunate we are to enjoy the amazing support we receive from our fans. We can’t wait to see, hear and engage with our fans again starting March 12.”

Attendance is capped at 3,200, less than 18 percent capacity of the AT&T Center, which is about 18,500. Along with limited attendance, the franchise is also implementing a series of safety measures including:

• Masks required inside the arena at all times, unless eating or drinking
• Temperature and wellness checks upon entry
• Maintain social distancing, including in elevators
• Cashless, touchless payment "from paying for parking, to scanning your ticket at touchless ticket-scanning pedestals, to ordering food and beverages"

The arena has also upgraded its cleaning protocols, including electrostatic sprayers to deploy hospital-grade disinfectant and even using UV robots to help sanitize surfaces. AT&T Center is also implementing a new high-tech filtration system to keep fresh air pumping through the arena.

“For the last 10 months our team has been laser focused on implementing heightened health and safety measures, concentrating on three key areas, people, surfaces and air,” AT&T Center VP and general manager Casey Heverling added. “The entire organization has gone above and beyond to make sure that the AT&T Center is a safe and enjoyable environment for everyone in attendance."

Though next week's game will be the first for the 2020-21 season, it will not be the last. Following the Magic matchup, the Spurs will host 17 more home games this year. Season Ticket Members and partners have priority access to available ticket packages beginning March 2. Fans can receive exclusive pre-sale access beginning March 5 at 12 pm by signing up for the Official Spurs Fan Club.