15, 2026 at 4:08 pm
Fans at Lumen Field in Seattle in October. (Kevin Clark / The Seattle Times)
Fans at Lumen Field in Seattle in October. (Kevin Clark / The Seattle Times)
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By
Matt Calkins
Seattle Times columnist
It was either jarring or joyful, depending on your perspective.
Last week, the Seahawks sent a notice to season-ticket holders who had put their seats for Saturday’s playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers on the resale market, seemingly asking, “Are you sure you want to do that?”
“Our records indicate that your seats for the upcoming Divisional Round Playoff game are currently posted for resale,” the message read. “As communicated prior to the 2025 season, 2026 renewal eligibility may be impacted if it is determined that your season tickets, including any playoff games, were used primarily for resale purposes.”
If you’re Evan Hill, a Seahawks fan who constantly talks ball on X, your response was “Excellent work @Seahawks.”
If you’re longtime sports journalist Rachel Nichols, your response was “More teams should do this @Seahawks.”
But if you’re the X account holder for Rain City Cards, you weren’t celebrating the organization. You were slamming it.
“Unbelievable @Seahawks … threatening me directly for listing my tickets to the divisional round game. Saying if I don’t remove my listing from THEIR WEBSITE that I may LOSE MY SEASON TICKETS. I’ve had Season tickets for close to 10 years and have had to sell my tickets maybe twice? Anyone who knows me knows I DO NOT MISS HOME GAMES. EVER. I have my tickets posted on the Seahawks site POSTED THROUGH THEIR APP – because it was $2800 for 2 tickets total these two games. And I’m having to sell off the first game just so I can afford to go to the NFC Championship Game.”
This post wasn’t a one-off. Many others took to social media to express concerns to a team they’ve felt they’ve long been loyal toward. Sometimes people just can’t make it out to the stadium. And as the aforementioned post mentions, playoff tickets cost enough that selling one game can be the difference between attending the next — or not.
So what’s really going on here? Should fans be worried that years of devotion could be nixed by one or two acts of circumstance.
The Seahawks’ stance is no.
Alarming as that notice may have been to some ticket holders, it’s the last part of the message that the organization wants to highlight. “Renewal eligibility may be impacted if it is determined that your season tickets, including any playoff games, were used primarily for resale purposes.”
In other words, the targets of this warning aren’t the occasional sellers. They’re the ones who use their season tickets as a means to enhance their income, helping to populate Lumen Field with opponents’ fans in the process.
Still, a message like that at this stage of the season blindsided a good number of Seahawks fans. But for some, once they were able to take a breath, their anger turned into acclaim.
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I spoke to the Rain City Cards account holder, who wanted to remain anonymous but insists he was able to get his tickets in the hands of fellow 12s. He said he actually applauds the organization for trying to keep Lumen Field as blue and green as possible when the 49ers come to town Saturday — he just didn’t want to get lumped in with the scalpers.
Ultimately, he’d like to attend the NFC Championship Game and the Super Bowl, but given how he’s between jobs, it just isn’t financially viable to pony up the dough for this upcoming divisional game.
“They (the Seahawks) had the right intent,” he said. “They just caught a lot of us struggling with affordability off guard.”
One complaint from season-ticket holders is that once they purchase those seats, it is their right to do whatever they want with them. No argument here. But its also the Seahawks’ right not to re-up those season tickets if they feel it might hurt their home-field advantage.
There is a waitlist for season tickets capped at 12,000 people. There are an additional 180,000 people on a season-ticket notification list. The organization values its fans, but it has options on who it can to sell to.
When Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald and selected players met with the media Wednesday, mention of the Lumen Field atmosphere seemed to elicit the most earnest responses.
“Man, that’s everything,” said Seahawks receiver Cooper Kupp, who before this season played in a number of games at Lumen Field with the Los Angeles Rams.
“I can’t wait to see what it’s going to be like stepping into Lumen being able to be on the other side of it and see a stadium really come alive.”
Seahawks players have done everything they can to draw their fans to the stadium. The Seahawks’ brass is doing everything it can to keep opposing fans out.
That was the deal before the season began. Those unhappy about it will just have to deal.
Matt Calkins: mcalkins@seattletimes.com. Matt Calkins has been a sports columnist with the Seattle Times since 2015, where he has covered national title games, got a Seahawk to design his apartment and once extracted a two-word quote from Marshawn Lynch.
Fans at Lumen Field in Seattle in October. (Kevin Clark / The Seattle Times)
Fans at Lumen Field in Seattle in October. (Kevin Clark / The Seattle Times)
Skip Ad
By
Matt Calkins
Seattle Times columnist
It was either jarring or joyful, depending on your perspective.
Last week, the Seahawks sent a notice to season-ticket holders who had put their seats for Saturday’s playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers on the resale market, seemingly asking, “Are you sure you want to do that?”
“Our records indicate that your seats for the upcoming Divisional Round Playoff game are currently posted for resale,” the message read. “As communicated prior to the 2025 season, 2026 renewal eligibility may be impacted if it is determined that your season tickets, including any playoff games, were used primarily for resale purposes.”
If you’re Evan Hill, a Seahawks fan who constantly talks ball on X, your response was “Excellent work @Seahawks.”
If you’re longtime sports journalist Rachel Nichols, your response was “More teams should do this @Seahawks.”
But if you’re the X account holder for Rain City Cards, you weren’t celebrating the organization. You were slamming it.
“Unbelievable @Seahawks … threatening me directly for listing my tickets to the divisional round game. Saying if I don’t remove my listing from THEIR WEBSITE that I may LOSE MY SEASON TICKETS. I’ve had Season tickets for close to 10 years and have had to sell my tickets maybe twice? Anyone who knows me knows I DO NOT MISS HOME GAMES. EVER. I have my tickets posted on the Seahawks site POSTED THROUGH THEIR APP – because it was $2800 for 2 tickets total these two games. And I’m having to sell off the first game just so I can afford to go to the NFC Championship Game.”
This post wasn’t a one-off. Many others took to social media to express concerns to a team they’ve felt they’ve long been loyal toward. Sometimes people just can’t make it out to the stadium. And as the aforementioned post mentions, playoff tickets cost enough that selling one game can be the difference between attending the next — or not.
So what’s really going on here? Should fans be worried that years of devotion could be nixed by one or two acts of circumstance.
The Seahawks’ stance is no.
Alarming as that notice may have been to some ticket holders, it’s the last part of the message that the organization wants to highlight. “Renewal eligibility may be impacted if it is determined that your season tickets, including any playoff games, were used primarily for resale purposes.”
In other words, the targets of this warning aren’t the occasional sellers. They’re the ones who use their season tickets as a means to enhance their income, helping to populate Lumen Field with opponents’ fans in the process.
Still, a message like that at this stage of the season blindsided a good number of Seahawks fans. But for some, once they were able to take a breath, their anger turned into acclaim.
Advertising
Skip Ad
I spoke to the Rain City Cards account holder, who wanted to remain anonymous but insists he was able to get his tickets in the hands of fellow 12s. He said he actually applauds the organization for trying to keep Lumen Field as blue and green as possible when the 49ers come to town Saturday — he just didn’t want to get lumped in with the scalpers.
Ultimately, he’d like to attend the NFC Championship Game and the Super Bowl, but given how he’s between jobs, it just isn’t financially viable to pony up the dough for this upcoming divisional game.
“They (the Seahawks) had the right intent,” he said. “They just caught a lot of us struggling with affordability off guard.”
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Your dose of local sports news. Delivered Monday through Friday.One complaint from season-ticket holders is that once they purchase those seats, it is their right to do whatever they want with them. No argument here. But its also the Seahawks’ right not to re-up those season tickets if they feel it might hurt their home-field advantage.
There is a waitlist for season tickets capped at 12,000 people. There are an additional 180,000 people on a season-ticket notification list. The organization values its fans, but it has options on who it can to sell to.
When Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald and selected players met with the media Wednesday, mention of the Lumen Field atmosphere seemed to elicit the most earnest responses.
“Man, that’s everything,” said Seahawks receiver Cooper Kupp, who before this season played in a number of games at Lumen Field with the Los Angeles Rams.
“I can’t wait to see what it’s going to be like stepping into Lumen being able to be on the other side of it and see a stadium really come alive.”
Seahawks players have done everything they can to draw their fans to the stadium. The Seahawks’ brass is doing everything it can to keep opposing fans out.
That was the deal before the season began. Those unhappy about it will just have to deal.
Matt Calkins: mcalkins@seattletimes.com. Matt Calkins has been a sports columnist with the Seattle Times since 2015, where he has covered national title games, got a Seahawk to design his apartment and once extracted a two-word quote from Marshawn Lynch.
