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The coronavirus pandemic has no limits on what it affects.
Even the financial juggernaut that is the Dallas Cowboys are not immune from the coronavirus. The franchise announced Thursday morning for the first time in its 60-year history it will not have season ticket holders for the 2020 NFL season.
Cowboys announce that, because capacity at AT&T Stadium will be “limited” in 2020, season tickets aren’t available this year. Will resume in 2021. Season-ticket holders can opt in to purchase limited number of seats for limited number of games. Or can opt-out of single-game tix. pic.twitter.com/6mwRZH39ZL
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) July 30, 2020
The Cowboys exhausted every effort to accommodate their season ticket holders. One potential plan was having a lottery to determine which season ticket holder could select the games they wanted to attend. But considering the limits on the number of fans allowed at AT&T Stadium, with the state mandates, a difficult decision was made to not have season ticket holders.
Cowboys officials, instead, announced season ticket holders would get first shot at a limited amount of tickets for the 2020 regular season. If a season ticket holder declined at purchasing tickets, those seats would go toward the general public for sale. The season ticket holder wouldn’t its season-tickets, the tenure would be retained including seat location for the 2021 season. The Cowboys also extended the seat option payment for an additional season.
And what about that money, due back in the spring, season ticket holders paid? Well, the Cowboys will give them a credit to future purchases or a refund.
You could praise the Cowboys for taking this step of being realistic about what this 2020 season might offer. On Thursday rookie cornerback Trevon Diggs had a perfect line about the current state of the NFL: “You have to adjust and adapt to what’s going on.”
Of course, you don’t have to feel sorry for the Cowboys considering, according to Forbes, they’re valued at $5.5 billion.
But in the reality of finances, the Cowboys stand to lose an enormous amount of money with little to no fans at AT&T Stadium. Forbes analyzed 2018 revenue figures and reported the Cowboys would lose an estimated NFL-high $621 million with no fans in the stands. In 2018, Forbes reported the Cowboys generated $950 million from AT&T Stadium.
Experts in the field of sports finance are not worried about the Cowboys’ plight.
“Now Jerry Jones is a special case because he’s got that mammoth stadium and generates an enormous amount of revenue at the stadium,” said Andrew Zimbalist, a professor of economics at Smith College. “So he’ll take a substantially bigger hit than the typically NFL owner. He can afford to take that hit.”
The Cowboys eliminating season ticket holders for 2020 is something unheard of but necessary because of the coronavirus pandemic. Having fans attend games in Texas was opened in June, when Gov. Greg Abbott said sporting venues could have a 50% capacity. Some cities and states are not even allowing that. The Eagles for instance might not have any fans for games at The Linc. Lawmakers in Philadelphia said it’s a fluid situation.
Back in the day, losing a season ticket holder was a big deal. And when we say back in the day, take the 1970s.
“We cared more about the checks than anything else,” joked Gil Brandt, the Hall of Fame Cowboys executive.
Brandt was describing himself and team president Tex Schramm’s actions about the summer months and how the mailman was an important person in the morning. The two executives would open envelopes looking for checks of renewal of season ticket holders.
“It puts money in the bank and it creates fans for a long time,” Brandt said of how season ticket holders were viewed years ago. “Money was short for some NFL teams back then, especially late in the summer financially.”
When Cowboys officials broke ground on old Texas Stadium in 1969, season ticket holders were sought quickly. Brandt and his staff went at retaining season ticket holders from the Cotton Bowl and get new ones for the new stadium.
Some of those same fans from Texas Stadium are still around holding seats at AT&T Stadium, the fabulous place in Arlington.
Brandt himself was surprised at not having season ticket holders for the 2020 season but he was also understanding of what’s going on.
“It’s hard to believe,” he said. “Every hour we reach something new.”
Find more Cowboys stories from The Dallas Morning News here.
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July 31, 2020 at 06:16AM
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In an unprecedented move, Cowboys will not make season tickets available for 2020 season - The Dallas Morning News
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