The Seahawks are "letting more people savor" the view atop CenturyLink Field by adding "1,000 new padded seats to the south end’s upper levels to raise stadium capacity to 68,000," according to Geoff Baker of the SEATTLE TIMES. The issue of fan access is "increasingly thorny" for the club, as there is a "capped out wait list of 12,000 for season tickets, while rare single-game seats vanish before many fans even realize they’re for sale." Great teams "typically experience ticket scarcity," but the Seahawks have "helped keep demand high by limiting their stadium capacity increase to 1,000 seats despite reason to add at least 2,000 more: the minimum 70,000 required to host a Super Bowl." The club instead "devoted 5,775 square feet of additional south end space to a 'Toyota Fan Deck' positioned between the two new 500-seat sections." Fans can "access the covered outdoor deck" during games, "buy Kinder’s BBQ meat at concession stands and warm up alongside an 8-foot-wide fireplace." Seahawks President Peter McLoughlin, attending the deck’s unveiling ceremony last Thursday, said that the "goal was an enhanced fan amenity and more 'iconic' platform for raising the '12' flag." McLoughlin said that there is "no urgency to add more seats." He added that while a Super Bowl would be "great for the city" if one opens up, the seat requirement "might not even matter" (SEATTLE TIMES, 8/18).
