Attendance plans for 2020-21 unclear

Kim Harp has attended Avalanche home games with her family at Pepsi Center almost every season since the team moved to Colorado. Her seats 11 rows up on the red line feel a lot like home.

But the coronavirus pandemic served up an eviction notice.

“I’m dying for hockey,” Harp said. “The Avalanche are our team. I love those guys.”

Nuggets and Avalanche home games won’t return to Pepsi Center until at least December when their respective leagues plan to start a revised 2020-21 season. The Kroenke-owned sports teams operate under the same ticket office and will transition to digitalonly entrance to eliminate paper tickets, similar to the Broncos, starting next season.

But the NBA/NHL season formats, number of games and specific arena attendance policies remain unclear with the nation’s health landscape certain to evolve over the next four months.

“I’m not sure I’d be super excited to be jumping into an indoor arena even at reduced capacity to watch a game,” said Jonathan Allen, a Denver-based attorney and Avalanche season-ticket holder of about five years. “I think we’re all just waiting and hoping things get back to normal.”

Refund options

In recent weeks, ticket holders received an email providing refund options for the 12 Nuggets games and eight Avalanche games canceled at Pepsi Center this past spring; as the NHL season resumes in Edmonton and Toronto and the NBA in Orlando.

“If you were a season-ticket member, partial plan holder, or group ticket holder, and you wanted to roll that (refund) into your payments for the 2021 season, we took that money and applied it to your payments,” said David Burke, KSE chief ticketing and strategy officer. “Then we paused all your payments until we have more clarification of what the season will look like.”

The Avalanche and Nuggets said they also accounted for a tanking economy and fan’s health concerns with payment refunds granted upon specific request.

“If people do not feel comfortable coming back for 2021, and wanted to hold on to their seats for the 2022 season, we will allow them that option as well,” Burke said.

Reduced capacity

If mass vaccination is unavailable by December, or a second coronavirus wave hits, it is likely that indoor sports arenas nationwide will have significant attendance limits and social distancing measures.

Burke said his team engages in weekly video conference calls with other professional sports teams to collaborate on contingency plans for how to move forward under a variety of possible health restrictions.

Burke joked: “We’re getting to scenario about No. 27 at this point.”

Nuggets and Avalanche fans can expect priority for season-ticket holders, more cashless concession options, touchless bathroom features and countless other changes at Pepsi Center. Some of Burke’s hypothetical plans even call for a complete ticketing overhaul to accommodate the largest number of fans.

“If we’re at 33-percent capacity, do we even allow people to buy season tickets? So that we can offer a game and seats to more people? Those are the types of things that we’re running through,” Burke said. “It’s just a bunch of scenario planning, so as we get more direction, we can either eliminate scenarios or really start to dive into them.”

Fan interest

Through the first 45 combined Avalanche/nuggets home games this season, fan attendance rose by 31,047 in comparison to 201819. Nathan Mackinnon and Nikola Jokic are moving toward Colorado sports legend status. Will it be enough to keep the buzz during a pandemic?

Fan surveys conducted by Kroenke’s business intelligence group and data provided by Ticketmaster have produced multiple conclusions.

“In our surveying, it seems like the younger generations are open and willing to come and be in packed arenas; even without a vaccine. Where the Boomers aren’t as willing to do that,” Burke said. “… For us, it’s what are the guidelines put in front of us, and then really creating packages that then fit the clientele that is open to coming to the arena.”

Harp, 58, says she will be in her 11th-row seat when games eventually resume — if proper health guidelines are followed.

“As long as people are reasonable, wear their masks and wash their hands, I think we’ll be fine,” Harp said. “If someone is sick, they need to stay home.”

Allen, 36, splits his season tickets four ways and admits his fandom is centered around the game experience. He’s worried a reduced-capacity crowd will all but eliminate what makes Pepsi Center a special sports venue.

“That just doesn’t sound quite as fun,” Allen said. “It seems like it’s going to be a long time before there are fans in arenas.”