It’s playoff season in Montgomery County. It’s a very exciting time for teams and their fans, who share a common wish: watching their school bring home a state championship. With lots at stake, playoff games get very intense and are extremely delightful to win. There is one factor that limits the desirability of these matchups, though: price.
For years, playoff games in MCPS have cost $6 for everyone in attendance. In the regular season, tickets are free for children 6 years old or younger, current and retired MCPS employees and a guest, and senior citizens; $5 for adults; $3 for students at least 12 years old, and $1 for students 7 to 11 years old.
Due to the increase in ticket prices, playoff matchups in MCPS have yielded far lower spectator turnout rates than anticipated. Schools with exceptional football programs and notoriously rowdy fan bases, including Quince Orchard and Northwest,could barely fill half their seats. Many students from these schools wanted to attend these games, but couldn’t justify paying double the normal price for entry.
Students, such as senior Joan Laureano of Clarksburg High School, are against ticket price surges during playoffs. “People having to spend 6 dollars just to watch [the] playoffs for your high school team is honestly just a waste of good money,” Laureano said. “This is honestly sad and I hope they do something about this.”
Aside from spectators, many student-athletes, including Walter Johnson High School senior Abby Calhoun, of the girls’ varsity soccer team, believe that rising ticket prices creates a negative impact for both athletes and fans. According to Calhoun, “No one wants to pay [standard prices] for a game already and now they are making it $6 which makes less people come, so the games are less hype for the players and even the fans.”
Despite the universal unpopularity of the prices and efforts by the community to ask MCPS officials to lower ticket prices for the greater good of the community, the reality is that Montgomery County does not have the power to change ticket prices. Unlike in the regular season, the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA) regulates playoff tickets.
However, there is still an alternative for people who want to watch MCPS sporting events without overpaying for tickets: going to ice hockey games. Since ice hockey is not a county-recognized sport and their games are played at local ice arenas, tickets are free during the regular season. The caveat to this is that only some MCPS schools have hockey teams.
For those still trying to support their school athletics in the deep playoffs, another good thing is that big matchups—like state championship games—are frequently live-streamed for free, making them accessible from home.
With winter sports and basketball season starting up soon, we can all enjoy regular-priced tickets soon. It is only a matter of time before we see if state officials choose to adopt a more lenient pricing system for the playoffs.
Written by Darius Kamrad of Walter Johnson High School
Graphic by Charles Wang of Walter Johnson High School