Despite Auburn basketball’s loss to Kentucky, our own Tyler Raley took the unique opportunity to switch to his student side, immersing himself in a camp out experience unlike any other at “Jungle Village.”
Chaos, electric, dedication — those are some of the words that many use to describe what camping out for an Auburn basketball game is like. Me? I would just simply call it unique.
Auburn’s basketball program has flourished over the recent years of history, rising into the list of powerhouses in college basketball. The Tigers have made four out of the last five NCAA Tournaments, made a Final Four, signed some stout recruiting classes and even hosted ESPN’s College Gameday the last four seasons.
If you do not know much about who I am, I am currently attending Auburn University pursuing a degree in sports journalism. Typically, I am covering teams for articles. I just so happened to not have coverage for the Tigers’ game against Kentucky, so I decided to go experience just my third game as a student in one of the greatest spectacles in the nation: “Jungle Village.”
“Jungle Village” was established in 2022, when the then No. 2 Auburn Tigers welcomed the No. 12 Kentucky Wildcats to town. The biggest game of the season had the potential to give Auburn a chance to move to No. 1 with a win.
The students camped out for two cold days prior to the game, receiving food and refreshments to have as they set up tents to live in, all in an attempt to get a spot in one of the rowdiest student sections known to man, “[autotag]The Jungle[/autotag].”
So when it was practically guaranteed that “Jungle Village” was going to pop up again for Saturday’s matchup with the Wildcats, I knew I had to get in on the action.
My friends set up camp near the front of the barricaded line immediately following the South Carolina game on Wednesday, which put us in a position to get good seats for both College Gameday and the game.
The group that I formed, like many, had around 10 people in it. We took shifts at the tent site to abide by the rule that we needed at least one person at the tent at all times so that others could go to class.
From what I experienced on Friday during my shift, it was all about two things: entertainment and naps. All throughout the line that wrapped around the Village residence halls, students were throwing the football, playing basketball with a makeshift goal and playing games. When you weren’t doing that, you were napping… or at least trying to.
As the night hours came about, the entertainment reached new levels when a big screen was set up and the students played Mario Kart, all while former Auburn guard [autotag]Zep Jasper[/autotag] returned to the Plains and brought out donuts.
Throughout the middle of the night and into the morning hours, it was all about trying to get sleep when you could, because nobody was sleeping again until the game was over the next night.
Saturday morning for me was early, as my whole group reconvened at 3 a.m. to hang out and pass the time as everyone began to slowly wake up. Knowing I only got about three hours of sleep the night before was rough at that time, but I was soon energized after we took the tents down and got breakfast catered from Staks Pancake Kitchen. In that moment, it was the best pancakes that I had ever had in my life.
We entertained ourselves as we waited in line for the doors to be opened for Gameday, constantly requesting Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird” to be played over the speakers. Before we knew it, the doors were finally opened, and the fun began.
What came during the show was a lot, including analyst Jay Williams inviting numerous people down to shoot a 3-pointer for money. None of the students made anything, but funnily enough, a little kid and Aubie did, which sent the crowd into a frenzy.
Following Gameday, most students dispersed to go shower and clean up before the game, as they had wristbands that guaranteed them spots in “The Jungle.” I stayed in line because I had nothing better to do, and I could just watch other games to pass the hours.
The game finally came, I secured my seat near half-court, got a picture with an announcer who was part of my childhood in Jay Bilas and got on the video board at least 10 times, all while losing my voice yelling during the game with the best students on the planet.
After that, the experience was over.
So, what would I say to sum up my experience in “Jungle Village”? Well, as much as I’ve tried to describe what all happened, you cannot do that. You really just have to experience it for yourself.
Despite the loss, I had some of the best experiences with my friends, grew closer to them, and saw what passionate fanbases in sports are all about. The thing to remember is that no two student section experiences are ever going to be alike. If you go to a college athletic event, be prepared to be amazed.
Some might say it’s normal, but at the great “Jungle Village,” it’s just unique.
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