Over 1,700 students with tickets were denied entry to the watch party for the NCAA Men’s Basketball championship game at Gampel Pavilion, leaving students outraged.
Mike Enright, UConn’s deputy spokesperson said in an email “There were 6,741 tickets distributed for the event, based upon seating capacity in the upper bowl, and 5,014 were admitted.” 5,014 tickets were scanned, and Enright said that no statistically significant number of additional people had entered.
The lower bowl was closed for this year’s watch party, “to protect against court storming,” through a decision implemented by a campus committee, according to Enright.
Smashed bottles littered the streets at 9:40 p.m. as students gathered outside the gates, some chanting.
“A number of students who had valid tickets to the National Championship Game Watch Party at Gampel Pavilion were not admitted to the building on Monday night. A decision was made by the Fire Marshal to close admission to Gampel before the game started based on concerns related to crowd size and available seating capacity,” said a statement released by the university. “The safety of our student body and all those in Gampel Pavilion and on campus was the paramount concern during this event and the decision was made on that basis,” explained the statement. “However, the university would still like to extend its sincere apologies to those students who held valid tickets to the Watch Party and were not able to be admitted.”
Enright said that “the building had reached a safe capacity” with 5,014 seats filled. Gampel Pavilion has a capacity of 9,882 people, according to a UConn facilities website.
“Last year, Gampel was filled to capacity and quite frankly overfilled,” Enright said.
Several students outside the pavilion tried to jump the fences set up for security reasons to get inside the watch party. One student said that he tried to jump the fence into Gampel at the North Entrance.
“I just got caught, so I ran away. I’m desperate dude. I’m a senior,” the student said.
As crowds dwindled, the student said he watched the game with a small group of people on a small TV screen visible through the windows of Gampel Pavilion.
“Honestly, I shouldn’t be here right now, but I just can’t let go. I’m- I’m so upset, I’m going to cry. It’s my last ever time I was going to be at Gampel,” the student said.
An event worker at South Entry said that one person had jumped the fence there. This conflicts with statements provided by Enright, who stated that no one had jumped fences to the university’s knowledge.
“We’re not aware of anyone that jumped fences,” Enright said.
Brooklyn Boehme, a UConn student who paid $70 for a resold ticket, also watched the game on a small TV screen visible through the windows.
“We see empty seats, like, they’re not at capacity. They’re just not letting people in,” Boehme said, referring to several empty seats available in the Upper Bowl of Gampel.
Many students paid for resold tickets, with some being sold for as high as $250. Students who
resell tickets are banned from getting free university tickets in the future per university athletics policy. This led to further frustration as students who paid for resold tickets were denied entry into Gampel Pavilion.
Victoria Baliga, another senior UConn student, expressed frustration towards the university’s planning of the event.
“I feel like this was poorly done and a lot more thought could’ve gone into it. I feel like they should’ve opened the lower level of Gampel. That would’ve given a lot more students the opportunity to see the game,” Baliga said.
UConn student Mishael Johnson said that they should’ve had more viewing locations “especially when they want to take away a good chunk of the seats too, like, take away the lower level,” Johnson said.
Morrone Stadium, a nine-minute walk from Gampel, has a seating capacity of 5,300, or a bleacher capacity of 4,169. Sherman Sports Complex, located behind Gampel, has a seating capacity of 2,000.
When asked if UConn would consider opening more locations for watch parties in the future, Enright said there were distinct challenges associated with hosting a watch party at any site.
“There are challenges and restrictions to hosting Watch Parties at other areas of campus, whether they be inside or outside. Among those are ensuring that fire codes are enforced and the chance of inclement weather,” Enright said.
In addition to students with valid tickets being denied entry, UConn student Kaitlin Deahl said that security separated students with tickets who attempted to enter.
“We went to the South Entrance and they started separating us, man and woman. And we’re in a group of 15, all of the boys got in, none of the girls got in,” Deahl said.
“I think overall the entire evening was a safe evening for students,” Enright said. He did not think that security separated students by gender.
Mya Seara, another UConn student, additionally discussed the crowds of people who ran between entrances in hopes of getting into the Gampel Pavilion watch party and the general safety of the event.
“Honestly the guards had said, like, okay you can go in on the other side, and you’ll be able to get let in, that created such a mob force, and honestly people could’ve gotten hurt.”
Enright also commented on the safety of the event.
“There were three or four ambulance transports,” Enright said.
While declining to provide a specific number, Enright said there were less injuries at this year’s celebrations than last year’s watch party had, a recorded 16 injuries, according to an AP News report.