What’s next with Heat postponements and tickets?
What comes next with arena schedule, postponements?
When it comes to fans being in the seats at AmericanAirlines Arena, the Miami Heat find themselves in a waiting game that offers only token clues.
Among the reasons the NBA reportedly is considering a December start to 2020-21 is the possibility of having fans back in arenas at some point next season.
As it is, the remaining unplayed nine home games from the Heat’s 2019-20 regular-season schedule continue to be listed as postponed instead of canceled as the facility and the Heat deal with the fallout of the coronavirus outbreak.
While several teams have begun to address refunds for March and April regularseason games, the Heat this week issued a statement to the Sun Sentinel that read:
“We have been in regular
communication with all of our season ticket members since the hiatus began. We have told them from the outset that should games get canceled or played without fans, credits and/or refunds will be available. Nothing has changed.”
Prior to that statement, AmericanAirlines Arena issued a release about a presale for tickets to an Andrea Bocelli concert scheduled for Dec. 20, seemingly in the window when the NBA is not expecting fan access — if games at that point even are played in home arenas.
That release read: “As a prayer of hope, Andrea Bocelli returns to the United States
this Holiday Season. Andrea is pleased to let his South Florida fans know that the tour will conclude with a special performance at AmericanAirlines Arena on December 20th.”
That release also read, “As our main hope still remains the healing and safety of our world from this pandemic, please rest assured, if the performance is postponed or canceled due to continued safety and health concerns, a period for complete refunds will be immediately available.”
The expectation is that if the NBA is able to complete the 2019-20 season, games likely would come at a neutral site, in the absence of fans.
While the Miami Dolphins have announced plans to potentially limit attendance as a means to play the upcoming NFL season in front of fans at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez was a bit more cautious last week when discussing the possibility of fans returning in the short term to county-owned AmericanAirlines Arena.
“Basketball’s a little different,” he said on Fox Sports 640. “The arena is enclosed and all that. But outdoor venues may be a little simpler and easier to do, so I wouldn’t say no to it.
“I think that is something I would like to work toward, see if we can get that done.”
For now, the schedule on the AmericanAirlines Arena website shows a mix of upcoming events that either are canceled, postponed or still scheduled, with no mention of any upcoming Heat games.
For example, Friday’s Prince Royce concert is listed as canceled (with a note that, “All ticket purchasers will be issued refunds) and Saturday’s Lit AF Tour Hosted by Martin Lawrence is listed as postponed (with a note that, “The originally scheduled show date of May 9th has been changed. The new date will be announced soon. Currently held tickets will be honored for the new date, and no action is needed if fans want to keep their tickets and current seat locations.”). The June 5 CNCO concert is still listed as scheduled.
While the arena schedule lists postponements into September, including the scheduled Sept. 26 Camila Cabello concert, a spokesperson said the current schedule listings also are a function of decisions by promoters of those events.
And yet events that previously had been postponed by the pandemic are now showing up again on the arena calendar at AAArena.com with new dates at early as July 24, as with the rescheduled Aventura concert.
The Heat have not played since their March 11 loss to the visiting Charlotte Hornets, with the NBA yet to announce scheduling plans for the balance of this season.
The Heat currently are seeded to make the NBA playoffs, which had been scheduled to begin the weekend of April 18 and 19.
The Heat are expected to resume limited work on their practice court at AmericanAirlines Arena on Monday, with the voluntary workouts to include social distancing and no competitive drills.