The Show on KJZZ

Listen live weekdays at 9 a.m.

Arizona State University, Valley Sports Teams Change Arena Operations Due To COVID-19

By Vaughan Jones
Published: Saturday, September 4, 2021 - 4:10pm
Updated: Saturday, September 4, 2021 - 4:36pm
Audio icon Download mp3 (1.05 MB)

The coronavirus pandemic has impacted live sports in many ways, from keeping fans out of stadium seats for most of 2020, to changing the way teams and venues host events in 2021.

For this year's football season, Arizona State University has made some changes for convenience that have also impacted fan safety.

In a world where fans need to be socially distanced, sports teams and venues are working to increase efficiency during live sporting events.

ASU Senior Associate Athletic Director Mike Meitin says the university has improved entry times into Sun Devil Stadium by changing how fans get into the game.

“We did a couple of things down there to work on that, the first thing is, we moved to digital ticketing, so all tickets are now mobile, they’re on your phone,” said Meitin.

Teams like the Suns and Diamondbacks have also gone “cashless,” and are allowing fans to order food and drink on their phones and pick it up, as opposed to waiting in line at concession stands.

Some experts foresee that these practices will stay in place after the COVID-19 pandemic ends, as the benefits go beyond just fan safety.

Coronavirus Arts + Entertainment