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Steelers Hold Back 50 Percent of Individual Tickets Because of Social Distancing
May 22, 2020
The Pittsburgh Steelers are limiting the number of individual tickets on sale for home games in 2020 in order to prepare for potential NFL social distancing protocols.
The team will only sell half of its normal single-game allotment.
"We are holding back 50 percent of the individual game ticket sales inventory because we are preparing for possible social distancing scenarios this year at Heinz Field," Steelers director of communications Burt Lauten said, per ESPN's Brooke Pryor.
Tickets went on sale Friday morning, with fans able to purchase up to eight seats per household for any combination of home games, per local CBS affiliate KDKA.
Pryor noted the team is the league's first known organization to pare down sales in a bid to avoid larger issues should it sell more tickets than fans allowed in stadiums this season.
As of Friday, the NFL has not instituted any policy requiring teams to limit the number of tickets sold.
Earlier this month, Commissioner Roger Goodell sent a memo to all clubs with required contingencies should the coronavirus pandemic impact attendance, per Barry Wilner of the Associated Press:
"All clubs will have in place a policy under which, if a game is cancelled, or is played under conditions that prohibit fans from attending, anyone purchasing a ticket directly from the club (i.e., season tickets, group sales and/or partial season plans) will have the option of either receiving a full refund or applying the amount paid toward a future ticket purchase directly from the club. [...]
"In preparing for all elements of the 2020 season, including the schedule release, we have considered the unique circumstances facing us this year and have been clear that all of our decisions will be guided by medical and public health advice and will comply with government regulations."
It'll be worth watching to see if other teams follow the Steelers' lead as individual ticket sales ramp up over the coming weeks.