Hartford Athletic enters playoffs amid pandemic

Despite a COVID-19 pandemic that severely limited live sporting events, the Hartford Athletic is entering the team’s first-ever playoff game after selling out all nine — crowd limited — regular season home games.

Hartford’s professional soccer team — only in its second season — has made lemonade out of a truncated 16-game season this year, said Jordan Charlupski, the Athletic’s vice president of revenue and strategic initiatives. Nine of those games were at Dillon Stadium, a 5,500-seat outdoor Hartford venue at which the team could host 1,375 fans amid COVID-19. During the playoffs, they will be allowed to host at 40% capacity, or 2,200 fans.

“It was all up in the air, who knew if we’d even have a season,” Charlupski said.

After the team settled on a season with 11 fewer home games than promised to season ticket holders, the Athletic gave fans the options of receiving refunds, rolling over the difference to season tickets for the 2021 season, or receiving a gift card for Athletic merchandise in lieu of a refund. 

They could also become a “Blue and Green Savior” by writing off the money paid for unplayed games as a donation to the team, Charlupski said. Blue and Green Saviors also get 20% off all future tickets. More than half of season ticket holders chose this option, Charlupski said.

The team also found support among its sponsors, Charlupski said. The Athletic held on to 95% of its revenue from sponsors who advertise at games, despite the season consisting of 45% fewer games than originally planned. Sponsors — including Trinity Health of New England, Travelers, The Hartford, Cigna, Stanley Black & Decker and LAZ Parking, among others –have also assisted in fundraising events, like Cigna participating in a virtual yoga fundraiser for Mental Health CT.

As the Athletic prepares for its first playoff game against Saint Louis FC at Dillon Stadium 7 p.m. on Saturday, there is already a 2,000-seat waiting list for season tickets to next season’s home games, Charlupski said. He attributes fan support to the team’s community focus, and its standing as a locally owned professional sports team.

“We’ve always pushed the narrative that we are Connecticut’s professional team,” Charlupski said. “Our players are under our contracts, we don’t have a larger affiliate telling us who’s on our roster.” 

Tickets to Saturday’s game are currently available for purchase.