Professional sports are back, but are fans?
With high ticket prices, reduced seating capacities and COVID-19 concerns, some Chapman sports fans are reluctant to return to professional sports games. DANIEL PEARSON, Staff Photographer
It was no April Fools’ prank: April 1 marked the reintroduction of fans into Major League Baseball stadiums in California. More recently, hockey and basketball arenas followed suit.
That’s welcome news to some Chapman students, who are eager to get back to venues such as the Honda Center and Angel Stadium — both of which have gained considerable traffic from the university’s community over the years that they’ve hosted a promotional “Chapman University Night.”
“It felt great,” said sophomore mathematics major Caleb Wilkins about returning to a Los Angeles Angels game. “(Angel Stadium is) definitely one of my favorite places on earth, so just to be able to go there again regularly is amazing.”
Angel Stadium and the Honda Center — home of the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks — have opened their gates at a capacity of 33% and 10%, respectively, to accommodate eager fans. Yet despite lowered attendance, Wilkins noted that the game he went to April 4 didn’t feel much different from that of a pre-pandemic Angels game.
“The atmosphere wasn’t quite the same. I think they're still pumping in some fake crowd noise in the background,” Wilkins said. “Otherwise, it felt like people might’ve been more into it, because it’s been so long.”
Wilkins’ ability to go to a sports venue, however, is an anomaly to some. Many Chapman sports fans, like senior psychology major Ryan Morris, have not yet made it to a sporting event since stadiums opened. Morris is enthusiastic at the opportunity, but is still waiting for the right time to do so — which will likely be in the fall for Los Angeles Chargers or Rams games.
“Because of my vaccine, I haven’t been back; I just got the second dose,” Morris said, citing the two-week waiting period after being fully vaccinated to obtain full immunity.
There’s another problem cash-strapped students are running into, however: with seating at reduced capacity, tickets are notably more expensive than in seasons past due to reduced supply. According to SeatGeek, a popular ticketing site, the average price of an Angels ticket is $88 in 2021, up from just $34 in 2020.
It’s that fundamental economic rule of supply and demand — less seats, higher prices — that’s keeping junior business administration major Ben Mueller away from returning to live sporting events.
“Now that things have opened back up, I’ve been interested in going, but I’ve been looking at the prices and they’ve increased,” Mueller said. “I’m waiting to go until the prices go back to what they were beforehand.”
Mueller noted an announcement by California Governor Gavin Newsom that stadiums would hopefully fully reopen June 15, which Mueller anticipates would mean more fans in seats, an increased ticket supply and more affordable prices.
Until that date, at least one Chapman fan will be patrolling the stands this month.
“I’m definitely trying to get back (to Angel Stadium) as many times as possible this season,” Wilkins said.