No fans should miss the tipoff because of the gate.
〰️
No fans should miss the tipoff because of the gate. 〰️
The situation
Roughly 75% of NBA games are played on weeknights, when fans can arrive late from work or traffic, and the main gates absorb much of the entry volume. If screening can’t keep up with the spike, lines form and fans are left with little time for concessions before tipoff [1]. Fans notice, feeling rushed or anxious to get to their seats, and missing opportunities for increased connection and engagement with the team.
In a 2024 Boldyn survey of U.S. and U.K. fans, half said the wait to enter is a top-three factor in enjoying an event, and 55% said fast, seamless entry makes them more likely to return [2]. In Alchemer’s October 2026 survey of 1,064 fans, 68% of frequent attendees who call themselves big fans said they forgive weak team performance more readily than a week venue experience, while only about 11% said the reverse [3].
What evidence shows
Focus on Operations first: After long line at a January 2025 home game, the University of Rhode Island’s Ryan Center added staffing at entry points and sent reminders to fans that doors open 90 mins before tip-off to help mitigate long entry times [4].
Technology, when data calls for it: The Cleveland Browns reported peak lines of 20 minutes or more before adding facial-authentication express lanes for the 2025 season. They expanded from 2 express entry points to over 40, with one express lane clearing about nine groups a minute and a 9.3/10 fan rating [5].
New technology carries its own risk: At the Intuit Dome’s 2024 opening night Bruno Mars concert, the facial-entry system failed, causing crowds to queue outside and delay the start time by two hours [6].
The takeaway
Entry friction is measurable, and many fixes start with gates, staffing and communications a team already controls. Allcourt grades the gate of every game, shows which gates and time windows break down, and provides advisory to helps teams enable fixes before deciding whether new technology is worth buying. Allcourt helps teams identify and measure against their baseline: tracking entry wait time, fan satisfaction, per-fan spend, and producing an Entry & Ticketing Grade for each game.
How the Allcourt Grade Applies
| Connect | Grade | Advise |
|---|---|---|
| Gate scan, wait-time and staffing data the team already holds. | An Entry & ticketing score against the team’s own baseline, by gate and time window before tipoff. | The top fixes, with owners and timing, such as rebalancing gate staffing for the final 30 minutes. |
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Sources
[1] Evolv, “Why Designing a Better Security Arrival Experience Matters…,” Apr. 23, 2026 (evolv.com).
[2] Boldyn Networks, “A great fan experience is about more than just the event,” Feb. 29, 2024 (boldyn.com).
[3] Alchemer, 2026 Fan Experience Report Card, Oct. 7, 2026 (cmswire.com).
[4] GoLocalProv, URI Ryan Center statement on the Jan. 4, 2025 game (golocalprov.com).
[5] Wicket, Cleveland Browns case study, 2025 (wicketsoft.com).
[6] CBS Los Angeles, Intuit Dome opening night, 2024 (cbsnews.com).
