Hoping to attend an Indiana Pacers game this upcoming season? Here is how many fans might be allowed in the Fieldhouse.
After concluding the previous NBA season inside a bubble to keep players safe from the ongoing pandemic, the NBA believes a handful of NBA teams will allow fans to attend games to start the 2020-21 season. The Indiana Pacers could host fans at some point this season.
As of now, the NBA is expecting 5-to-10 teams to host an amount of fans in their arenas to start the 2020-21 season, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 16, 2020
If you are hoping to attend a Pacers game this upcoming season, you might be in luck, at least relative to other fans of the NBA. Based on state and municipal guidelines, we can make a few estimates on how many fans will be allowed to enter Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
Based on guidance from the most recent Marion County Health Order:
"“Special or seasonal events – such as concerts, movie screenings, fairs, festivals, weddings and wedding receptions, conventions, or sporting events – are now limited to 25% capacity at most, and they may include more than 50 people only if the event has an approved safety plan from the Marion County Public Health Department. This is a reduction from the current 250-person limit. All other social gatherings of more than 25 people are prohibited.”"
As a special event, Indiana Pacer games can be at 25% capacity with approval from the Marion County Public Health Department. With a total capacity of 17,923, Bankers Life Fieldhouse might be able to host 4,400 fans.
However, based on attendance limits announced for other sports taking place in Indianapolis, this expected number will be lower than the 25% capacity. For Bulter’s upcoming game, only around 15% capacity will be allowed. When the Indianapolis Colts hosted the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, the published attendance was 12,495, only about 19% of Lucas Oil’s 67,000 seat capacity.
.@ButlerMBB will limit fan capacity to 1,500 for opening night, Wednesday vs Western Michigan. That’s ~15 percent.
— Scott Agness (@ScottAgness) November 23, 2020
Based on these figures, attendance at Bankers Life Fieldhouse might actually range from about 2,700 to 3,400, depending on guidance from local officials. The number of fans allowed will also depend on what rules the NBA outlines for teams to start the season. The NBA could always change their mind and prevent any fans from attending at the start of the season for player safety.
Based on what we currently know, there is the possibility that this upcoming season might end with packed arenas if all things go right. The distribution of a Covid-19 vaccine could begin as soon as early December.