College sports pregame studio shows on campus often thrive on fan energy, drawing many attendees. However, challenges can arise, especially regarding fans securing prime positions, which can be compounded by extreme weather conditions that disrupt normal procedures. This was evident during ESPN’s College GameDay men’s basketball show at Auburn University’s Neville Arena on Saturday, marking its first time on campus this season (source) for the highly anticipated match between Bruce Pearl’s No. 1 Tigers and the No. 6 Tennessee Volunteers, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. local time. The university prohibited fans from camping overnight due to extreme temperatures.
Despite the restrictions, fans began arriving around 3 a.m. They were then organized into a large holding area at 6 a.m. and allowed to rush for access to both GameDay and wristbands for the evening game. Unfortunately, this resulted in a chaotic surge that led to injuries, as detailed by Grayson Weir at BroBible, who reported on a massive rush. Videos captured the intense moments:
The stampede at Auburn this morning for Gameday / entry to the Tennessee game. Seeing posted online: Multiple injured and some taken to the hospital. There has to be a better way. #SEC pic.twitter.com/gTDvVwgAh7
— The SEC Logo (@SEC_Logo) January 25, 2025
A disaster at the hands of Auburn leadership. Sending prayers for a swift and full recovery for all those who were violently injured in the name of propping up Auburn Basketball for College GameDay. pic.twitter.com/mDCE8Ee7H6
— Andy (@rowtydepawl76) January 25, 2025
The line for The Jungle is open! #WarEagle pic.twitter.com/W6ugxxLX6v
— E2C Network: The Auburn Experience (@E2C_Network) January 25, 2025
In interviews with AL.com, students recounted the chaos and injuries. Cooper Smith, an Auburn senior, described the scene: “Once the gate opened to funnel all of us into the small gate opening, it was just a huge cattle stampede. People were falling down and getting hurt all over the place. There was no sign of organization at all.” Another senior, Logan Smith, arrived at 3 a.m. and witnessed the frantic rush at 6:30 a.m. He shared that there were individuals on the ground, “screaming and crying in pain in fear” as people rushed forward. Logan criticized the lack of adequate security, noting, “They were not prepared for this in any way,” and called for accountability from university officials.
Auburn provided a statement to AL.com, asserting there were only “a few minor injuries.” They explained, “For a brief moment upon line opening, a group of students rushed around the side of security… Those students began jumping barricades to gain entry, impacting the students trying to enter in an orderly fashion.” They confirmed that the on-site medical staff treated some minor injuries on-site.
Despite their claims, at least one student required stitches:
#FearTheJungle … 🫥 pic.twitter.com/Zzs7ngD5Tv
— Patrick Bingham (@PatrickABingham) January 25, 2025
While dangerous rushes among fans are known to occur at various events, including higher-profile ones like the Copa América final last summer, security teams must anticipate such scenarios. Auburn attributed their actions to weather conditions, stating, “Extreme weather conditions… forced Auburn to make the difficult decision to disallow the traditional premier match-up camp out.” Yet, it’s unclear why they couldn’t establish a more manageable lineup process for those arriving early, rather than allowing for a chaotic rush.
It’s concerning that this incident didn’t result in more severe injuries, illustrating the need for universities hosting high-demand events to bolster security measures. Feedback and video review from this incident may encourage necessary changes to ensure a safer event environment in the future.
