More Seahawks fans than ever packing into CenturyLink Field with new seats

Seahawks fans will notice and hear something different about CenturyLink Field this season, thanks to 1,000 new seats that have sprung up above the south end zone.

Friday night marks the debut of the Toyota Fan Deck, the newest addition to the stadium. And it’ll make what’s already among the loudest stadiums even louder.

“Our fans deserve it, we’ve got the best fans in the NFL, the 12s. There’s such demand for our tickets right now, so to be able to put 1,000 new seats in the building, we’re glad to do it,” said team president Peter Mclaughlin as he led media and season ticket holders on a tour of the new section.

Two sets of stands with padded seats rise up from the plaza above the south end zone, to the left and right of what used to be the platform where the Seahawks raised the 12th Man flag.

The Toyota Fan Deck features an exclusive, partially covered open-air viewing and gathering area with couches, big screen TVs, and even a fire pit.

“We wanted to create a unique experience, we wanted to create unique amenities, provide something special,” Mclaughlin said.

A much taller flag pole than before rises up from the Toyota Fan Deck, where a significantly larger 12th Man flag will fly above the stadium.

While primarily available to season ticket holders who snapped up the seats instantly, McLoughlin says the team will also make some seats available on a single-game basis.

A select group of fans joined the tour to get their first look at their new seats. Season ticket holder Joy Buss says she was blown away by the sweeping vista looking out over the field, and the Puget Sound beyond the stadium.

“It was spectacular, actually. You’re kind of in awe for a minute because it’s just such a great view,” Buss said.

The addition brings the CenturyLink Field capacity to 68,000. But as we look out over the stadium, I asked McLaughlin about the possibility of adding even more seats, since tens of thousands of 12s are chomping at the bit to get season tickets.

“You know, we’re open minded and thinking creatively about what else we can do to the stadium,” McLaughlin said. “We’ll definitely look at all options.”

There’s potentially one other pretty good reason to expand the stadium even more: the NFL prefers stadiums with over 70,000 seats to host a Super Bowl.

“Well, you know Indianapolis didn’t have 70,000 when they hosted the Super Bowl. So you never know,” McLaughlin laughed.