Wizards and Capitals fans might be hearing some good news soon. Muriel Bowser, Mayor of Washington, D.C., has announced that their professional sports teams can now request waivers to appeal for limited seating at their respective venues. Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), which owns the Wizards, Capitals, and Mystics, have already submitted requests and are awaiting a decision. According to Monica Dixon, chief administration of MSE, the organization has submitted a waiver so the Wizards and Capitals can play games in front of fans at Capital One Arena.
Washington, D.C. Sports Fans Are Ready to Be Seated
As far as when fans can start attending, that remains to be seen. As it stands, sports teams cannot host fans in the stadiums. But there are two facts that may give us a clue around when this can start happening. Two teams have already been granted permission to host games this season:
- The MLB’s Washington Nationals can host up to 5,000 fans on April 1st for their home opener. They evidently have not applied for a waiver to hold fans yet.
- The MLS’s DC United will host up to 2,000 fans for their home opener on April 17th. They did apply for the waiver.
Knowing this, an April return seems likely as well for the Wizards and Capitals. The Washington Mystics, of the WNBA, have a more tentative return schedule, with May looking more likely for the team’s return.
The Future of Washington Sports Game Attendance
The government in Washington, D.C. is discussing the possibility of increasing capacity limits in April. If the situation continues to steadily improve, more fans may be allowed. If things get worse because of contagious variant developments or increased cases, teams may not be allowed to have fans in the coming weeks.
IOA: Proudly Partnering With MSE
Insurance Office of America (IOA) is proud to partner with Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE) and their amazing teams through IOA Sports Partners, a program developed by IOA co-founder John Ritenour and his son, IOA chairman and CEO Heath Ritenour.
As an IOA Sports Partner, MSE, along with the Washington Wizards, Capitals, and Mystics, enjoy comprehensive B2B solutions that facilitate changes to their cost structure to optimize spending, drive real savings, and unlock additional “commercial value” while creating long-term sustainable partnerships.