AUBURN, Ala. - Auburn University, best known for their football, right? That dynamic may already be changing.
The Auburn basketball program discovered newfound success after hiring head coach Bruce Pearl before the 2014 season.
After becoming SEC regular season champs in the 2017-2018 season and obtaining the best regular season record for the Tigers since 1999, Auburn fans experienced an unfamiliar excitement.
The sporting event Auburn students once would never attend became almost impossible to get a seat to.
Students began lining up outside of Auburn Arena hours before game-time just to get a seat in the student section.
Auburn student Jacob Patterson has been standing in line for every home basketball game for three seasons. “The people who come out here first and stand in line, you can tell that they’re the most dedicated and most committed; they’re the ones who care the most about the team and really want to watch the games,” Patterson says.
Not only do the students stand in line just an hour or so before the games, but stand in line up to five hours through the rain and cold.
Auburn student Bay Marks said, “I stood in line for the Kentucky game last season in the pouring rain. Once the doors opened, everyone made a mad dash for the door.”
The Auburn Athletics department has made no official statement but has been rumored that they are looking to make adjustments to the ticketing process so students will not have to wait for hours.
With bags of Chick-fil-A, speakers playing music and Auburn chants echoing throughout the lines, the students don’t seem to mind waiting to watch their team play.
Michael Floyd, an Auburn student, said, “If I have to spend the night out here I sure will.”
There doesn’t seem to be anything stopping the Auburn students from waiting hours to see their beloved Tigers play.
A new Auburn tradition has been born.
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