Donovan McNabb and the State of Football
As the Arizona Coyotes wait for their temporary home at Arizona State University to be brought up to NHL standards, the team is already comparing the arena’s potential revenue to its old rink.
“From a revenue perspective, it’s going to be at the same if not better than where we were before,” Coyotes president Xavier Gutierrez said.
- Without going public with full- and half-season tickets, the Coyotes are “two-thirds” sold, according to Gutierrez.
- He expects there to be around 4,700-4,800 fans, with about 350-400 students.
“We never wanted to get to a situation where we’re gouging people,” he added. “We wanted to get to the NHL average for the lower bowl, which is about $157 average ticket price. Right now, we’re about $170.”
The Coyotes were last valued by Forbes at $400 million — No. 32 of 32 NHL teams.
Road Trip
The Coyotes, who will play at ASU for the next three seasons, are starting their season with six road games, followed by four “home” games and another 14 road contests.
While ASU’s $115 million facility is expected to be completed in October, modifications to the arena — required by the NHL — aren’t expected to be done until December. The team is reportedly working with ASU on temporary facilities for October games.
In June, the team pitched a $1.7 billion plan for an arena and entertainment district.
