SOUTH ORANGE, New Jersey — A majority of Americans said they believe that in-person attendance at sporting events should be limited to those who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the Seton Hall Sports Poll.

By a 54 percent to 29 percent margin, respondents agreed that limiting attendance to the vaccinated was appropriate as the country slowly emerges from the coronavirus pandemic. Seventeen percent of respondents had no opinion.

Among sports fans, even wider majorities agreed that limiting attendance to the vaccinated was necessary. The poll showed that 59 percent of respondents who identified as sports fans and 68% of those who considered themselves avid fans supported attendance limits.

Results of the poll — conducted by the Sharkey Institute within the Stillman School of Business at Seton Hall University in South Orange — were released Feb. 7, six days ahead of Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles.

California has a mask mandate in place for outdoor events with more than 10,000 people. SoFi Stadium, where the Super Bowl will be played, seats 70,000 and Los Angeles officials expect a sold-out crowd despite the continuing pandemic. It is uncertain how strictly the mask mandate will be enforced.

Since mid-December, SoFi Stadium has required attendees at events ages 5 and over to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test. The requirement continues for the Super Bowl.

Daniel Ladik, associate professor of marketing at Seton Hall University, said in a statement released by the school that the poll’s findings show that “fans want to be safe in the arenas and stadiums.”

The poll showed that agreement with attendance limits did not vary significantly across various age groups, ranging from 52 percent among those 55 and older to 55 percent among those 18 to 34 years old. In addition, 54 percent of men and 53 percent of women agreed with limits on attendance imposed because of the pandemic.

However, geographic differences were evident. In the Northeast, 62 percent of respondents agreed with the limits, along with 58 percent in the West and 52 percent in the Midwest. Only in the South did a minority — 48 percent — call for limiting attendance at events.

The poll also found that 58 percent of all respondents said that requiring all fans to wear a face mask or show proof of vaccination or a recent negative COVID-19 test makes in-person sporting events safer.

Again, among sports fans, such requirements were more popular. The poll’s findings revealed 61 percent of sports fans and 69 percent of avid fans agreed that mask-wearing, proof of vaccination or a negative test makes for a safer environment in stadiums and arenas, whether outdoors or indoors.

The poll also asked respondents if they felt safer at outdoor or indoor sporting events now than they did in August. For outdoor events, 35 percent of respondents overall said they felt more comfortable while 44% of sports fans and 53 percent of avid fans agreed. Saying they did not feel more comfortable were 27 percent of all respondents, 23 percent of sports fans and 18 percent of avid fans. The remainder in each group had no opinion.

For indoor events, 31 percent of all respondents said they felt more comfortable attending now than in August, compared with 32 percent who disagreed and 37 percent who had no opinion. When it came to sports fans, 40 percent said they felt more comfortable while 27 percent said they did not. And 55 percent of avid fans said they were more comfortable and 27 percent said they did not.

When asked whether they would attend a sporting event if given free tickets, responses of sports fans varied somewhat by venue — outdoors or indoors.

For indoor events, 54 percent of sports fans and 67 percent of avid fans said they would attend. For outdoor events, 61 percent of sports fans and 72 percent of avid fans said they would attend.

The Seton Hall Sports Poll was conducted Jan. 28 through Feb. 1. It surveyed 1,513 adults online and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.