Student Section

The University of Alabama’s football program is well known throughout the nation for its excellence on the field and its supportive fan system. Masses of fans come dressed in crimson apparel and flood into Bryant-Denny Stadium on every Saturday game day. The majority of these people are students of the University of Alabama. Profane exclamations, piercing cheers, painted bodies, thousands of shakers, and crimson attire are just a few aspects of the stadium’s student section. A designated area for students to sit during the games, the student section, provides several benefits; however, do the benefits overcome the inconveniences of sitting in the student section?

One of the major factors in attending any football game is seating. Compared to other universities in our conference, Alabama’s student section provides some of the most limited student seating. After conducting a survey, the Crimson white found that only “16 percent of seats at Bryant-Denny Stadium are allotted to students, making the University the third-lowest of the larger SEC schools surveyed” (Crimson White). Students pay discounted prices for tickets in the section. They are about $35 cheaper than the average regular ticket, however, within the student section, seats are not assigned to individuals. Thus, your seat’s proximity to the field is unknown until you arrive and find a seat. If you would like to be certain that you will have a good seat, you should probably go to the stadium several hours in advance. If you choose to leave your seat once you are in the game, however, it will most likely be taken when you get back. A positive aspect of this unassigned seating system is the ease of sitting with a group of friends or choosing not to sit near certain people; however, these seats are not assigned, some people will cram in to be with their friends regardless if there is sufficient room. Some students think this can be annoying and uncomfortable when trying to watch the game; however it is not a very common problem since most students enjoy being surrounded by large groups of energetic people. Alumni Steven Scoggan stated, “I always enjoyed sitting in the student section because you are surrounded by a large mass of Alabama fans. The energy of the atmosphere is incredible.” Another aspect of the student section is the lack of seating.To some, constantly standing might be tiring and irritating, but to most students, this is desirable and contributes to the school spirit.

Similar to the seating factor, accessibility is a major factor when sitting in the student section. When first entering the gate to the student section, your bags are searched. All bags must be 8.5” by 11” to be permitted into the stadium. These policies are much stricter in the student section than in any other section of the stadium. The process of entering through the student gate is quite efficient; “We were surprised by the efficiency and speed of the student entrance. In fact, the student entrance seemed to run better than it had in years past” (Crimson White). Once you are in the student section of the stadium, you don’t have access to any other areas within the stadium. For someone desiring to meet with a family member or friend sitting in a different section during a game, this is a big inconvenience. However, because the primary purpose for most students going to the game is to watch the game, most students do not mind this lack of accessibility.

As you evaluate the student section objectively, you notice that aspects of the stadium can be perceived as pros or cons depending on the person. After reviewing the criteria of the student section, you realize that the section sufficiently completes its goal, which is designating a place where students can support our team, have a good time with friends, and be surrounded by other spirited fans. Although some might find it an inconvenience to not be able carry a large bag around or socialize with people across the stadium, the majority of the student body focuses on watching the game and supporting our team. Roll Tide!

Works Cited

Folk, Dave. “UA student football section allotment below average.” Crimson White. 23 April 2008. <http://www.cw.ua.edu/2.4648/ua-student-football-section-allotment-below-average-1.452809>.

　

"Our View: Stadium ops could be better." Crimson White. 14 September 2009. <http://www.cw.ua.edu/our-view-stadium-ops-could-be-better-1.1876528>.