Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
Blue Jays Increase Ballpark Capacity to 80 Percent
The Blue Jays' recent home field advantage may get a little louder in July.
The Toronto Blue Jays announced Monday that Buffalo's Sahlen Field would be increasing fan capacity to 80%. With Sahlen's capacity sitting at 16,600, the new restrictions could allow as many as 13,000 fans in to Blue Jays home games.
The new capacity comes with a movement towards largely vaccinated seating sections. Starting on June 24, 95% of the tickets sold will be for fully vaccinated seating sections, while just 5% will be physically distanced.
The Blue Jays also announced Monday that home tickets, with the new fan capacity, would go on sale for games until July 21. These new tickets will go on sale to the general public on Thursday, June 10 at 10 a.m.
While the extension of ticket sales until July 21st does not directly prevent a return to the Rogers Centre before then, Blue Jays President Mark Shapiro said last week that the team did not want to put tickets on sale in Buffalo they may have to refund. The team would need at least a month, perhaps two, of lead-up time for a potential relocation back to Toronto, Shapiro said. The current state of the closed U.S.-Canada border remains the biggest obstacle for a return.
“Just focus on the border, recognizing anything around that is going to be a challenge. Not impossible, but a challenge,” Shapiro said. “The only clarity exists around the border reopening.”
Further Reading
When it all clicks, the Blue Jays are AL's dark horse
