I thought LCA was designed so that if people didn’t want to sit in their seats to watch the game, they didn’t have to. There’s plenty of room around the concourse and arena where people are able to stand at tables, drink beer, and watch the game.
Not saying that accounts for every empty seat, but at opening night there were a noticeable amount of people standing in these areas.
Lastly, the arena is beautiful as currently constructed. I love all the red, this will be an unthinkable downgrade. It’s pretty unfortunate.