The No. 1 ranked Auburn Tigers earned a huge victory over the weekend against No. 6 ranked Tennessee with a final score stunner of 53-51.
It was supposed to be a special day on Auburn’s campus with College GameDay in town to witness one of the best environments college basketball has to offer, something Bruce Pearl’s program has carefully cultivated over the years.
But unfortunately, an incident in the morning occurred when students who were lined up to get into the GameDay show rushed the gates, leading to several injuries:
#FearTheJungle … 🫥 pic.twitter.com/Zzs7ngD5Tv
— Patrick Bingham (@PatrickABingham) January 25, 2025
There was no real communication or accountability from any of Auburn. There was no where to start a line, no clue where entry was, too many people in the same place. All around bad and there are definitely more injuries than reported by Auburn pic.twitter.com/2fap6rMuV0
— In a loser frat (@DudeInAuburn) January 25, 2025
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
Auburn was not allowing the usual camping out of students due to weather conditions, which is what led to the rush of patrons looking to get into the building and secure their spots in line.
Auburn released a statement in the wake of the incident:
“For a brief moment upon line opening, a group of students rushed around the side of security, working personnel and students who had staged near the barricade entry.
Those students began jumping barricades to gain entry which impacted the students trying to enter the barricades in an orderly fashion. All students in line in advance of this morning’s live broadcast – including students who walked up after the initial line was cleared – were admitted to the arena and provided with a wristband for entry to tonight’s game.
On site medical staff reported a few minor injuries which were addressed locally by EMS. Auburn is reviewing feedback and video footage from the line to develop plans for future games to ensure student safety.”
Michael Brauner is a Senior Sports Analyst and Contributing Writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @MBraunerWNSP and hear him every weekday morning from 6 to 9 a.m. on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5, available free online.
