Auburn Basketball Student Attendance: Policies, Procedures, and Gameday Expectations

Auburn University has specific guidelines and expectations for student attendance at basketball games. These policies address various aspects, from ticketing and entry procedures to conduct within the arena. This article provides a detailed overview of these requirements, drawing from official announcements and reports.

Attendance Policies During the COVID-19 Pandemic (2020-2021 Season)

During the 2020-21 basketball season, attendance at Auburn men's and women's basketball games was significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In line with state guidelines, the university reduced capacity at Auburn Arena to 20%. Given the arena's normal capacity of 9,121 fans, this meant that approximately 1,825 fans were allowed to attend each game.

Ticketing and Seating Arrangements

Students were allocated the highest percentage of tickets for the men's team's home opener against South Alabama on December 4, as well as for all SEC games starting January 9 against Alabama and continuing through the end of the season. During the holiday break (December 15-30), the majority of tickets were distributed to Tigers Unlimited season ticket holders, faculty, and staff, although a limited number of seats were still made available to students.

To ensure social distancing, available seats were arranged in groups of two to four, with six feet of distance between each block. Unavailable seats were clearly marked. Notably, there was no student or fan seating in the courtside bleachers (Sections D-N), traditionally known as the home of Auburn's student section, "The Jungle." This change was implemented due to SEC protocols. Team benches for both the home and visiting teams were moved to the opposite side of the court.

Attendance at all women's games was general admission in the 100 level.

Health and Safety Measures

Face coverings, worn over the nose and mouth, were mandatory for all fans and gameday workers upon entry and while inside the arena. Guests were permitted to remove their masks only while actively eating or drinking.

Official Statements

Auburn's athletic director, Allen Greene, acknowledged the challenges posed by hosting athletic events during the pandemic, stating, "I would like to thank the Auburn Family for their patience, understanding, and cooperation as we develop plans for the 2020-21 men’s and women’s basketball seasons. Hosting athletic events during a pandemic continues to present a number of challenges, but we look forward to providing a safe, secure, and healthy environment for our student-athletes and all those in attendance at Auburn Arena."

Ticketing Information

Ticket information was sent directly to season ticket holders for both men’s and women’s basketball. Information on requesting men’s basketball tickets was also sent to current Auburn students. All tickets for the 2020-21 men’s and women’s basketball season were delivered digitally.

New Student Entry Processes and Policies (Post-January 2025)

Following an incident on January 25, where multiple students were injured in a rush toward the arena gates before College GameDay, Auburn University implemented new processes and policies for student attendance at men’s basketball games. The university reviewed feedback and video footage to develop these plans, aiming to ensure student safety.

Intent of New Policies

According to the university, the new processes were designed to "provide a safe, well-organized, and controlled queueing experience for students by establishing effective security measures, controlled ingress/egress, medical support, weather monitoring, and emergency response coordination while preserving the spirit of the event."

Read also: Auburn Student Statistics

Queueing vs. Camping Games

The new policies categorize each Auburn home game as either a "queuing game" or a "camping game." The designation for each game is announced every Sunday for the following week.

The decision to classify a game as queuing or camping is based on several factors:

Date and time of the athletic event (weekday vs. weekend)
Scheduling of competing athletic and university events
Weather and other related factors
Risk profile of the game (high-profile matchup or non-marquee event)
University operating status
Other factors

Queuing Game Procedures

For queuing games, students can begin lining up at any time; there is no designated start time. Students are directed into four different "quads" based on their arrival time:

Quad 1: First students to arrive
Quad 2: Students arriving after Quad 1 reaches capacity
Quad 3: Students arriving after Quad 2 reaches capacity
Quad 4: Students arriving after Quad 3 reaches capacity

The quad assignment determines seating access inside Neville Arena:

Quad 1: Lower-level access
Quad 2: Lower-level access
Quad 3: Lower-level access and standing room only
Quad 4: Standing room only

As early as three hours before tipoff, students in Quads 1-3 receive wristbands to secure their designated arena access. Once the arena doors open, the quads are released in succession. After all wristbanded students from Quads 1-3 have entered, the remaining seats are filled by non-wristbanded students, with preference given to standing-room-only areas.

Camping Game Procedures

Camping games also utilize a quad system, with four designated camping areas in front of the Neville Arena student entrance and along Thach Concourse. The number of students permitted in each quad is the same as in the queuing process, and the access areas within the arena are also the same. As with queuing games, there is no designated start time for camping.

Key differences in camping game procedures include:

No camping structures are allowed in Quad 4.
Each tent must be registered with The Jungle Leadership Team.
The maximum number of students per tent is four.
Each student must show their Mobile Tiger ID and list their student ID number on the registration form.
At least half of the registered group must be present at the tent at all times and must check in during randomized checks.
All tents and camping supplies must be broken down four hours before tipoff, at which point students line up within their associated quad barrier.

The wristband distribution and arena entry process for camping games is the same as for queuing games.

Barricade Breach Response

Auburn University, in partnership with local law enforcement, emergency services, and campus entities, has established security, crowd management, and emergency response operations for The Jungle Queueing Process. These measures are designed to "ensure the safety of students, maintain order, enforce risk mitigation policies, and coordinate emergency preparedness before, during, and after the event."

General Student Expectations and Code of Conduct

Beyond specific game attendance policies, Auburn University has general expectations for student conduct at athletic events.

Academic Expectations

Students are expected to attend all their scheduled classes. College coursework requires regular class attendance and preparation. Specific attendance policies are determined by individual faculty members. Students are responsible for completing all assigned work and taking examinations at the scheduled times.

Instructors determine grading policies, and students must arrange to make up missed major examinations due to excused absences within one week of the absence. Make-up exam formats and opportunities to make up other work are at the instructor's discretion.

Excused absences include:

Illness of the student or serious illness of an immediate family member
Death of an immediate family member
Trips for student organizations sponsored by an academic unit, university classes, or intercollegiate athletic events (with prior notification when feasible)
Religious holidays

Gameday Conduct

The Auburn University Athletics Department promotes a gameday environment of respect for all participants and spectators. Throwing objects, including paper or plastic concessions items, within seating areas or onto the field of play is prohibited.

Guests ejected from the venue for any reason will not receive a refund, will not be readmitted, and may face restrictions on future attendance. Auburn University students ejected from the venue are also subject to referral to Student Affairs. Violations of federal, state, or city ordinances may result in arrest and prosecution.

To report inappropriate behavior, guests should contact law enforcement personnel, gameday staff members, or use the Text Assist System.

Final Examinations

Final examinations are a common means of evaluation in undergraduate courses, although other methods like performance tests, term papers, or research projects may be used. Final examinations are given as scheduled in the term examination schedule. Exceptions require prior approval from the provost.

Auburn University students have the right to take no more than two final examinations in a single day. Students with three or more final examinations scheduled on one day should contact instructors to request rescheduling. If no voluntary arrangements can be made, the Associate Dean of the student's major college will contact the Associate Dean of the faculty member(s) scheduled for the middle exam period(s) to arrange rescheduling.

tags: #auburn #basketball #student #attendance #requirements