Rowdy Reptiles Camp in Rain for Gators Men’s Basketball
Between spouts of rain and humidity, University of Florida seniors Alaina Scavina and Sophia Sousa hunkered down outside the Stephen C. O’Connell Center with merely a rain jacket, a cot and a concept of a plan.
The two seniors are camping out to watch Gators men’s basketball for the first time ever, as No. 7 Florida takes on No. 20 Arkansas on Saturday at 8:30 p.m., with ESPN’s “ESPN College GameDay” on campus.
“It’s our senior year,” Sousa said. “We wanted to camp out at least once.”
Added Scavina: “It’s for the memories, I guess, to say we did it.”
Scavina started camping out Friday at 3 a.m. for a total of two overnights by tip-off Saturday. Sousa joined her later in the day, and their group of four will spend the night into Saturday.
In order to receive tickets, at least half of each group must be present at all times. Big groups can get strategic.
Sophomore Brooke Nacht joined a group of 10 students to rtate shifts and said that five members of her group plan to spend the night Friday outside the arena. Students will start receiving bands for the game at 7 p.m., however, that’s just the beginning of earning a good seat in the student section.
Throughout the night, workers lead check-ins to make sure the appropriate number of people in each party is present, with a final roll call in the morning.
Nacht and her group are no strangers to camping out for Gators men’s basketball games. After at least 10 separate occasions, they have lost count.
Some of the highlights for Nacht’s group include the atmosphere in the student section, being close to the action on the court and having the opportunity to be on TV. The bonding that comes along is a bonus, making the full experience worth it.
“Absolutely,” sophomore Lillia Dexheimer said. “It’s so much fun.”
Saturday’s game against Arkansas marks a special opportunity to be on TV, as “ESPN College GameDay” will air live from Gainesville.
For sophomore Kathryn Allred, “College GameDay” and its popularity are big reasons why she hopped in line early. Alongside freshman Leighton Yates, she joined the line Friday around noon. Despite this effort, their starting point in the waiting line is the furthest back yet.
Allred and Yates tried to make it to every game this season. Despite the rainy conditions, Allred says she has been through worse.
“We came at 5 a.m. for Alabama,” she said. “The night was 22 degrees, but felt like eight.”
For their sleeping situation, Allred said it’s complicated, with some fans planning to sleep on blankets.
“Technically, they’re not allowing people to have tents anymore,” she said.
Still, their spirit remains unbroken. They are fueled by a love for Florida basketball and optimism about their potential for success.
The SEC-leading Gators gear up to take the court in a game that could decide the regular-season conference champion in primetime.
“This is a national championship team from last year, so hopefully we can pull through from there,” says Allred.
Category: Basketball, College Basketball, Feature Sports News, Gators Men's Basketball, SEC, University of Florida
