B.C. Lions open upper deck due to ticket demand for West Semi-Final against Calgary Stampeders

Photo courtesy: Jeff Vinnick/BC Lions

The B.C. Lions are opening the upper deck at BC Place Stadium due to high ticket demand for the West Semi-Final on Sunday against the Calgary Stampeders.

“The response has been outstanding and we can feel the excitement amongst fans of all ages for playoff football in Vancouver,” said B.C.’s chief operating officer Duane Vienneau in a statement. “Our fans have been brilliant all season long and we look forward to the beginning of this new era of playoff memories at BC Place.”

The lower bowl seats approximately 25,500 fans and is approaching a sellout, according to this screenshot from Ticketmaster that was taken on Monday at 2:30 p.m. EDT. As such, it would appear the team is on track to potentially eclipse the 30,000 mark in ticket sales.

The Lions averaged an attendance of 20,387 this season, an increase of 12.7 percent from 2019. The figure was buoyed by the 34,082 fans that attended B.C.’s home-opener against the Edmonton Elks on June 11, which also featured a live performance by popular band OneRepublic.

The Lions qualified to host the West Semi-Final by virtue of their 12-6 regular season record. This marks the first time B.C. has hosted a playoff game since 2016 when they defeated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers by a score of 32-31.