Cougars say later curfew would ensure more fireworks shows
Residents who live near Northwestern Medicine Field, where the Kane County Cougars play, may endure the flashes and booms of fireworks a little later into their summer evenings this baseball season.
Cougars General Manager Curtis Haug made an unscheduled request for a change in the ballpark's curfew Tuesday during a meeting of the Kane County Board's development committee.
The Cougars have 24 fireworks shows slated for the 2018 season. The current county-imposed curfew for the shows is 10:30 p.m.
Haug said history shows that weather delays and extra innings will push the conclusion of games beyond the fireworks curfew as many as five times during the season.
"When you have to make an announcement that the show has been canceled due to a curfew, it's tough," Haug said. "We're in a very competitive entertainment market. We don't want to lose people because they have a bad taste in their mouths because the fireworks were canceled."
Haug said internal surveys show fireworks are the No. 1 reason people buy game tickets. Getting people to buy tickets is an increasing challenge for the organization. The Cougars released a report Tuesday showing ticket sales fell by $119,000 in the 2017 season compared with 2016. Concession sales and advertising revenue also decreased.
Local interest in the Cougars reached a pinnacle when the team began an affiliation with the Chicago Cubs in 2013. Revenue plummeted by more than $278,000 when the team became an Arizona Diamondbacks affiliate in 2015.
County board members told Haug that they will address the topic next month. They signaled their early support for the move as long as Geneva officials are on board. The stadium sits on the city's far eastern border.
The county has a vested interest in helping the Cougars. Board members serve a dual role as forest preserve district commissioners. The Cougars and the district have a revenue-sharing agreement that gives the district a 15 percent cut once the Cougars hit $8 million in revenues. The latest financials show the Cougars are in danger of falling below that $8 million threshold if ticket sales continue to decline.