In the hours preceding the Florida Gators men’s basketball team top-ten showdown against the Tennessee Volunteers, hundreds of students lined up outside the Stephen C. O’Connell Center in hopes of securing a seat in the court-side student section.
Instead, pandemonium ensued as the O’Dome doors opened. Fans started to push their way to the front of the building, with some groups cutting the line entirely. As crowds poured in, security was unable to keep the chaos under control.
Nick Marcinko of GatorCountry shared a picture on X showing only one door open with a pair of security scanners at the student section gate. One of the scanners was not working, 21-year-old UF computer science junior Alexander Manoni said, leaving the entrance with one scanner, a limited crew of security and a barrage of raucous fans struggling to hold their place in line.
Bunches of students who had waited since sunrise for the 7 p.m. game were relegated to the upper bowl, and some were even turned away from the arena entirely. By the time the limited-capacity student section had filled up, the line into the O’Dome still wrapped around Tolbert Hall down the street.
While No. 8 Florida came away victorious over No. 1 Tennessee in arguably its biggest win of the last decade, many fans felt as if they were unable to celebrate properly. Rhiannon O’Donnell, a 21-year-old UF data science senior, said she had been lined up outside Exactech Arena since 4 a.m. on Tuesday, only to be separated from Manoni, her boyfriend, in the lower bowl prior to tip off.
O’Donnell said that at one point, she had burst into tears and suffered a panic attack while attempting to access the arena. A staffer offered her and Manoni a spot in the top of the upper bowl as compensation for their separation, despite their original seats being in the lower bowl. She instead opted to leave the game entirely.
“We made signs, we dressed in these stupid Gator onesies, and we were there since 3 a.m.,” O’Donnell said. “We were number 26, number 27 in line, and we’re getting offered seats in the back of the upper bowl. I just felt so frustrated with the whole situation. I was like, ‘I’m not going to be able to enjoy this game.’”
O’Donnell said she believed there were not enough people on staff to accommodate the crowd outside the arena, which in turn led to confusion and chaos in the line itself.
Even before the clock expired in Tuesday’s game, fans both at the O’Dome and on social media had resorted to pointing fingers as to who (or what) caused this debacle. Manoni said he believes a lack of transparency from event organizers is mainly to blame.
“It just sucked to see Rhi so upset after preparing for the game so much,” Manoni said in a text message. “It’s pretty upsetting to have it all ruined because the organizers were so unprepared.”
In the weeks prior to Tuesday night’s top-ten matchup, UF’s ticket office announced a promotion for alumni and other fans to sit in the student section at $35 each over winter break. Students whom the Alligator contacted said the announcement raised concerns as to the potential impact it may have on seat availability for the student body itself.
Madison Galladay, a 21-year-old UF sports management senior, arrived outside Exactech Arena at 10:30 a.m., where she was told that the first 250 students to receive wristbands would have access to the lower bowl. However, upon entering the arena, a University Athletic Association representative told her otherwise.
“A friend and I were talking to a UAA rep at the gate when staff was struggling to get students in,” Galladay said. “She stated that there were only 150 seats in the lower bowl and that only UAA wristbands mattered. That was never relayed to anyone. Those who waited were assured that if your wristband was under 250, you were in the lower bowl.”
The UAA did not respond to requests for comment in time for publication.
Contact Jack Meyer at jmeyer@alligator.org. Follow him on X @jackmeyerUF.
Jack Meyer is a fourth-year journalism major and the Assistant Sports Editor for The Alligator. In his free time, he enjoys reviewing music, spending time with friends, playing video games and going to the gym.
