While ASU football defeated Cal Poly 35-21 on Saturday night, the home opener also served as the debut of the new student section after renovations at Sun Devil Stadium.
The "double Inferno," which holds students behind each end zone, also came with a new ticketing process. Instead of students receiving actual tickets and assigned seats, students were given different colored wristbands that indicated a specific section.
However, the first three rows of each section were reserved for students with gold wristbands, meaning they staked out a spot at Camp Fargo, or were near the front of the line to get tickets.
Each wristband also listed the proper entrance to get to the section and students lined up at their respective entrances before the gates opened. Once the gates were opened, it was a free-for-all to get the best seats — first come, first serve.
Although new to the student section experience, chemical engineering freshman Megan Dieu said she thinks having students in both end zones will make for an interesting, yet effective dynamic.
"I think we can cheer back and forth between the two student sections, so instead of us having to rely on all the other fans, we can just rely on our energy," she said. "I think it will (make a difference in the game) because all the students will have a better view of the game, so we can cheer more and be quicker on reaction when a big play happens."
Biotechnology freshman Maitriyee Mahanta agreed that the experience behind the end zone will be positive, but she said she would prefer assigned seating.
"It's better if you have assigned seats rather than just the general thing because it might lead to more problems," she said.
The 942 Crew was dead center behind the south end zone on Saturday night, but even they are still adjusting to the changes. With the now-famous Curtain of Distraction used for basketball, many fans were wondering what, if anything, the group would do at ASU football games.
Sophomore exercise and wellness major and 942 Crew member Quinton Brown said he does not know if there will be anything planned for future games at Sun Devil Stadium.
As for Camp Fargo, ASU will send out a secret location and once students get there, they will be given passes that mark their spots in line. The groups camping out will be limited to six people per group, perhaps for organizational purposes.
"Before, it was all of us in 942 (Crew) always up front (of the line), but now, it's just whoever is on the ball gets there first. The problem last year was that there weren't very many rules, so when it came time for ticket distribution, everyone was bumping into each other and people were trying to cut. ... I think (this system) will work better," Brown said.
ASU football's next game is on Friday, Sept. 18 against New Mexico at Sun Devil Stadium.
Reach the reporter at Justin.Toscano@asu.edu or follow @justintoscano3 on Twitter
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