OAKLAND, Calif. -- Oakland Athletics owner Lew Wolff says the team will remove the tarps covering more than 11,000 seats from part of the upper deck at the Coliseum if the team advances to the AL championship series.

Wolff announced the decision to open up the third deck on the west side of the stadium Thursday before Oakland hosted the Detroit Tigers in the winner-take-all fifth game of the AL division series.

The A's put the tarps on the third deck in 2006 to create a more intimate environment at a stadium that has struggled to draw fans in recent years. Oakland's average attendance of 20,729 in the regular season was higher than just four teams.

The move opens up 11,698 new seats, making capacity 47,505 for a possible ALCS and World Series.