Time to change seating

[au81bs 32]

I know we've had this discussion in the past, but after attending the WSU game and sitting in the student section, I think it is high time for Auburn to change the seating assingments for students. Auburn needs to quit reserving seating for fraternities down next to the band. It was a shame to watch the game last week and last night and see almost the entire fraternity section empty by the middle of the third quarter. I was in a fraternity when I was Auburn, and we never left the game prior to the end, even when we were getting our butts handed to us during the Barfield years. If they don't want to stay for the game, then quit giving them premium seating. Move them up to the upper deck if they don't want to stay and support the team for the entire game. It's a shame to watch the game on TV and seeing our stands look empty because all the fraternities have left the game. Let the students that want to be there for the team sit there and cheer for the team. It will look better for the team and for Auburn when we are on TV. When did this tradition of the fraternities leaving early begin? I know our house and band parties always started well after the game, so we stayed for the entire game. Also, because my sons were able to get me student tickets for the WSU game, I now have sympathy for the students that get there early and the lack of seating available due to the reserved fraternity spots. The student section was packed, standing room only, long before the game started, yet the fraternity section was almost entirely empty up to game time. This isn't a rant against fraternities, again, I was there at one time, but it may be time to quit giving them priority at the expense of the other students. One of my sons is in a fraternity, and he won't sit with his brothers because he wants to stay for the entire game and gets frustrated with the others for leaving so early. OK, my rant is over, I feel better now, thanks.

via @AuburnSID

[Blizz5307 0]

I agree. They do not deserve priority seating. Students who care about being at the game and staying for it are forced to miss out on traditions like Tiger Walk just so they can wait outside the gate for hours to get a stinking seat. Normal students pay the same price for tickets. Put 'em on the ramps!

EDIT:

Not to mention they also send their pledges to block off rows in the rest of the student section. I saw many arguments break out due to it during my time as a student. I love sitting in the student section, but frats should not get preferential treatment for anything.

[juscAUse 1]

I have always agreed. There is more spirit at some of the bars in town than in the frat area of the student section, and many of us middle class folks would love to have those seats at a reasonable price.

[PCBAuburnaFan 1]

I agree. They do not deserve priority seating. Students who care about being at the game and staying for it are forced to miss out on traditions like Tiger Walk just so they can wait outside the gate for hours to get a stinking seat. Normal students pay the same price for tickets. Put 'em on the ramps!

EDIT:

Not to mention they also send their pledges to block off rows in the rest of the student section. I saw many arguments break out due to it during my time as a student. I love sitting in the student section, but frats should not get preferential treatment for anything.

THIS,

I was pissed off last weekend when I waited for hours towards the end of the Tiger Walk right before the gates. And then all those frat girls and boys who could care less about football showed up and stood inside the ropes so they blocked off myself and all the little kids wanting to give high fives.

[jared52 4,354]

I mentioned this in the gameday thread when they posted the pic of the student section an hour before kickoff. You are right too about missing Tiger walk, which the Greeks can go to because they put their FR pledges in there to hold their spots. I have YET to hear one single good argument in favor of this practice. Do other schools do this?

[IronMan70 3,277]

You guys are right, it doesn't look good on TV. You students need to be bring this to the attention of JJ, the SGA and anybody else you can think of.

[around4ever 4,139]

It's time for a letter from the President to all Fraternities. He should tell them that if they continue the practice of leaving the game early that the Fraternities will be assigned the top corner of the upper deck above the regular student section. Make it so that when the frats start leaving their ID is scanned and the next game the entire fraternity will be assigned and escorted to the upper deck.

[NoALtiger 3,873]

Student section has been in need of change for a while, lots to improve in a lot of areas actually.

[AUEngineer2016 407]

YES *10000000000000000000. It looks terrible when all of the frat guys leave to go get more drunk at halftime. And it's really frustrating when all of the non-greek students have to get there 2.5+ hours early to get a decent seat, but the frats can get there 10 minutes before kickoff and have better seats. I understand that they have to wait for a long time when they're pledges, but I pay just as much money for my ticket as they do for theirs.

[JBiGGiE 2,488]

I could care less about Greek organizations. I'm not the most involved in campus life but I can tell you that I've seen very little value that Greek organizations add to Auburn. I see no reason for frats to be given any kind of preferential treatment.

[pwauburn 0]

I have always agreed. There is more spirit at some of the bars in town than in the frat area of the student section, and many of us middle class folks would love to have those seats at a reasonable price.

Agreed, but those seats should never go to non-students. There should be enoughstudent seats available so that every student that wants one can have one.

[pwauburn 0]

I mentioned this in the gameday thread when they posted the pic of the student section an hour before kickoff. You are right too about missing Tiger walk, which the Greeks can go to because they put their FR pledges in there to hold their spots. I have YET to hear one single good argument in favor of this practice. Do other schools do this?

Tell the pledges to move

[Ber798297 241]

There are more non-Greek students than Greek students at Auburn... Surely something could be done... A revolution maybe??? Lol. But seriously, yes something should be done. It was getting bad when I was a student there but I see it has gotten worse.

[AwesomeDave 1]

Fraternities should not get preferential treatment. And I was in one. A public university really should not treat students differently based on membership in a social organization.

[SCTiger2011 1,297]

University of Texas allows students to purchase specific seats at the beginning of the year, which I have always thought was a no-brainer thing to do. Fraternities can block out as many seats as they need (and UT actually observes the attendance practices, i.e., if they notice empty seats or habitual leaving early, they restrict the seat level for that group next year). They also give preference to seniors, juniors, sophomores, freshmen in the picking of the seats, not just the buying times. As a fifth year, I tried to fight this battle with a significant group of people my sophomore year, even though I am pro-Greek. My brother's down here in a fraternity, my dad, and grandfather all were, so I have no problem at all with the institution, but the tense situations it creates among students during that initial bulrush is insane.

Going back to the sophomore argument outcome (this would be 2010), we also proposed opening the student gates an hour later. I mean, if you open the gates an hour/hour and a half before instead of two hours, you still will get the same turnout with less hassle for the student body. Personally, I think Tiger Walk would be even more extraordinary with thousands more students able to attend the event every week.

However, no offense to any SGA members here, but I have opposed basically every Student Government other than 2009. None of them listen to any of the student body at large on the pressing issues, but will instead throw a bone on irrelevant ones to create the illusion of cooperation. These people are more interested in adding an office to their resume than actually fulfilling the duties of that office.

[Ryan Sanders 123]

I understand some fans leaving early if they are trying to avoid traffic to get home at a decent time.. but I do not understand students leaving early when they normally will be walking back to their place. I've never left a game early at all.. If I am gonna drive 2 hours to see us play and pay for the tickets.. Then I will be there for the whole game. No questions asked.

[ValleyTiger 2,894]

I agree. They do not deserve priority seating. Students who care about being at the game and staying for it are forced to miss out on traditions like Tiger Walk just so they can wait outside the gate for hours to get a stinking seat. Normal students pay the same price for tickets. Put 'em on the ramps!

EDIT:

Not to mention they also send their pledges to block off rows in the rest of the student section. I saw many arguments break out due to it during my time as a student. I love sitting in the student section, but frats should not get preferential treatment for anything.

Spot on. If I'm not mistaken, the frats get the block seating based on a point system for attending other AU sporting events which the university hides behind as their reasoning. The idea of pledges saving chucks of seats in the regular sections never set well with me, and I usually made a point to sit in their "saved" section.

[WarAJEagle 5]

As a non-greek student with absolute no ill-feelings toward my greek friends, something HAS to change. It's ridiculous that I have to get there 2-3 hours early to get a seat and miss things such as the Tiger Walk. Block seating is fine with me, BUT There MUST be some form of punishment put in place for fraternities leaving early (seats forfeited, etc.) It is highly unfair to the rest of the students who are forced to pack into sections, and not be able to even go up and down the aisles safely due to people sitting on the steps.

[WarAJEagle 5]

I agree. They do not deserve priority seating. Students who care about being at the game and staying for it are forced to miss out on traditions like Tiger Walk just so they can wait outside the gate for hours to get a stinking seat. Normal students pay the same price for tickets. Put 'em on the ramps!

EDIT:

Not to mention they also send their pledges to block off rows in the rest of the student section. I saw many arguments break out due to it during my time as a student. I love sitting in the student section, but frats should not get preferential treatment for anything.

Spot on. If I'm not mistaken, the frats get the block seating based on a point system for attending other AU sporting events which the university hides behind as their reasoning. The idea of pledges saving chucks of seats in the regular sections never set well with me, and I usually made a point to sit in their "saved" section.

This is correct. However, most older brothers do not even go to the other sports. They usually just send pledges to go scan in their ID cards and then the pledges leave. The entire system is very flawed.

[ValleyTiger 2,894]

I agree. They do not deserve priority seating. Students who care about being at the game and staying for it are forced to miss out on traditions like Tiger Walk just so they can wait outside the gate for hours to get a stinking seat. Normal students pay the same price for tickets. Put 'em on the ramps!

EDIT:

Not to mention they also send their pledges to block off rows in the rest of the student section. I saw many arguments break out due to it during my time as a student. I love sitting in the student section, but frats should not get preferential treatment for anything.

Spot on. If I'm not mistaken, the frats get the block seating based on a point system for attending other AU sporting events which the university hides behind as their reasoning. The idea of pledges saving chucks of seats in the regular sections never set well with me, and I usually made a point to sit in their "saved" section.

This is correct. However, most older brothers do not even go to the other sports. They usually just send pledges to go scan in their ID cards and then the pledges leave. The entire system is very flawed.

Exactly!

[Turtle_Tiger 13]

I am greek and enjoyed the perks of block seating. I guess it would seem unfair, but they are not just given out. The fraternities and any other Auburn group can participate in sprint point events and become eligible for block seating.

If pledges are saving non block seats I guess you can just sit there?

[AUEngineer2016 407]

I mentioned this in the gameday thread when they posted the pic of the student section an hour before kickoff. You are right too about missing Tiger walk, which the Greeks can go to because they put their FR pledges in there to hold their spots. I have YET to hear one single good argument in favor of this practice. Do other schools do this?

Tell the pledges to move

I'm not sure if you are talking about the lower section where frats have seats saved or the upper section where they have pledges stand in line for 6+ hours so that they are at the front of the line so that they can sit in a block of seats, so I will address them separately.

The lower sections have security guards standing by the stairs that check to make sure you have a wristband before they will let you sit down there. The fraternities are given wristbands for every game. The only time they will let you sit down in the fraternity section is when everyone else leaves a la Texas A&M last year.

The upper sections that have been saved by the pledges are also off limits. The security guards that are in the student section to keep people from smoking, getting too rowdy, etc. will side with the pledges because they feel bad for them, and they will make the non-greek students who sit there move.

[ToomersRevenge 284]

I am greek and enjoyed the perks of block seating. I guess it would seem unfair, but they are not just given out. The fraternities and any other Auburn group can participate in sprint point events and become eligible for block seating.

If pledges are saving non block seats I guess you can just sit there?

Yes, you be sure and try to sit where the frat daddies have chosen as their spot and see how well that goes. First, they try to fight you. If that doesn't work then eventually the entire frat still surrounds you and they make your life hell.

Get rid of the whole spoiled system.

[Turtle_Tiger 13]

It sounds like pledges saving non block seats is the issue and not the actual awarded seating. I think the block seating promotes participation in the spirit events and was pretty fun.

There may be a better way, but there are always others not just fraternity guys blocking seating. I'm just glad I don't have to deal with that anymore. Just have to pay a lot more to avoid it.

[WarAJEagle 5]

It sounds like pledges saving non block seats is the issue and not the actual awarded seating. I think the block seating promotes participation in the spirit events and was pretty fun.

There may be a better way, but there are always others not just fraternity guys blocking seating. I'm just glad I don't have to deal with that anymore. Just have to pay a lot more to avoid it.

They are both issues.

Block Seating: Fraternities needs to be punished for leaving early. I get wanting to sit with brothers and dates, so the concept of block seating is not a problem with me at all. However, last week was embarrassing with the block seating thinning out at HALFTIME. It was 21-3, and then 21-9, it was still a game. It hurts the overall atmosphere, and it hurts recruiting.

Pledge saving: They sit in giant "blocks" in general admission areas and usually take up more room than they actually need. It needs to be butt in seat=taken, butt not in seat=not taken. Saving 1 or 2 seats is one thing, saving 30+ is another. It is absolutely ridiculous having to push up and down aisles with people sitting on the steps because of pledges saving giant sections. It's not safe and you can't even move. The system needs modified.