In a move that could be seen as irrational as it is confusing, University of Virginia staffers evicted students attempting to camp out Monday night at the John Paul Jones Arena prior to Thursday's men's basketball matchup with 21st-ranked Virginia Tech. To make matters worse, the students were told they could come back the next morning after a nearby winter weather pattern had dissipated, only to be turned away from the premises yet again.
“After we set up our tent for the first night, we were told we had to leave until tomorrow morning for safety reasons,” said Ben Sydnor, one of the fourth years who attempted to camp out. “But then the next morning after we set up the second time, we were then told no lining up until gameday.”
“After we set up our tent for the first night, we were told we had to leave until tomorrow morning for safety reasons,” said Ben Sydnor, one of the fourth years who attempted to camp out. “But then the next morning after we set up the second time, we were then told no lining up until gameday.” 
“Safety reasons?” No matter that these are fourth year students, clearly legal in every sense of the word. No matter that they had come equipped with heated blankets, a waterproof tent, and enough electronics to heat a small apartment. No matter, indeed, that they were rotating in pairs so no one student would be left alone at night.
The students' attempts to reach the event staff for an explanation after they had packed up “'Hooville,” their name for the encampment, were largely ignored except for the hastily made “No Camping” signs that suddenly graced the doors of the Arena. University officials stated on Tuesday night, however, that the impetus for the switch in policy this year has come in part due to the move into the new John Paul Jones Arena, where the student gate area is closer to a road that is not as well monitored by University Police. Officials also cited the switch to the new Timed Entry policy for students, which they felt would negate the perceived “need” to camp out.
“I wonder why they are acting like this,” said Cassie Devolites, another fourth year who had been planning to camp out but whose shift had not yet come. “They had no qualms about [camping at] U-Hall. It's not like we're going to damage anything.”
Indeed, several student groups began to tent spontaneously last year before the Last Ball in U-Hall game against Maryland. These students were even allowed to plug their electronics into outlets inside the building and use its bathrooms while the outside doors were unlocked. In fact, the students who camped were allowed inside the building early to wait by the turnstiles until the gates opened, while others were forced to wait outside in the cold.
Despite the average season the men's basketball team had put forth to that point, the Last Ball in U-Hall presented an opportunity for students. Camping out for this experience allowed them to suffer in the cold and bask in the warmth of that atmosphere for the last time. These fourth years had planned a similar experience.
“I want to camp because it's my last year and I won't have the opportunity to do it again,”
“I want to camp because it's my last year and I won't have the opportunity to do it again,”
said Devolites. “It's really all about the experience of camping out for a big game that makes it exciting and it is disappointing that I am missing out on [this last opportunity.]”
So what could be the cause of the shift in policy?
The true reason could be safety. Violence against students has not gone unnoticed this year—recently, two people were robbed at gunpoint – just steps away from Bryant Hall at Scott Stadium. But if safety is such an issue, then why was camping allowed at U-Hall last year? For that matter, if proximity to the road causes concern, then why are students allowed to set up tents outside their entrance to Scott Stadium? That gate is, if anything, even closer to the road than the doors at John Paul Jones Arena!
Another reason could be image. With the new arena, a potential top-25 and NCAA Tournament bound team by season's end, and the millions of dollars poured into all of it by private investors, the University may wish to present as clean and organized an image as possible. On the other hand, the image of Virginia competitors such as Duke or Maryland, with much more rabid fan bases, gives them an upper hand in recruiting. Why would a top recruit want to go to a school with an apathetic student body? A Krzyzewskiville or 'Hooville is proof to recruits, alumni, and media that a student body is invested in their team.
“The University is just working against its own programs. Look at how other programs like Duke encourage support and see how they succeed,” said Sydnor.
Other programs, however, are also beginning to discourage camping out for games.
Duke policy has recently evolved so that there is only one game per year for which students can camp. That game is usually against hated cross-town rival North Carolina, for which students are willing to show up to their tents at Krzyzewskiville months in advance.
Maryland changed over to an online ticketing system similar to SHOTS in 2002 after their national championship run prompted an overwhelming interest in the basketball team. The University of Maryland website describes how, under their new policy, “the days of waiting in line for long hours or even camping out will be a part of the past.”
North Carolina also moved to an online system just this year. Their alumni website touts how “for student basketball fans, the days of lining up outside the Smith Center on cold winter mornings waiting for tickets are over.” The Wahoo faithful should be thankful, however, because the new ticketing system for UNC assigns seats at the same time in groups of two. At least here we can choose who we sit with!
With camping generally on the demise at a wide variety of ACC schools, do we at UVa really stand a chance of reviving what used to be a vibrant camping culture? Administrations are increasingly worried about liability, but profitability is forcing their hand as well.
In the past, empty student seats were sold as General Admission Tickets at the last moment. Moving to an online system allowed the Athletics Department to gauge student interest and, accordingly, sell more tickets to the public in advance. Having a ticket in advance subsequently meant students no longer had a need to camp out for their ticket or seat. Even this year, after almost 500 student tickets went unclaimed for the opening game against then 10th-ranked Arizona, those seats have since been sold directly to the public rather than go back into the student pool. While this has angered some students, especially as demand has increased dramatically alongside an improving (and now nationally ranked) team, University officials have steadfastly pointed out that those seats are now consistently filled even if they are now quiet (and paying) fans and not raucous students.
This is not to say that new ticketing systems have to be a death knell to the camping culture. Surely a compromise could save 'Hooville? An easy example is that of Duke. If the University were to select one big game a year – against say, Duke or another perennially ranked opponent – and provide the proper personnel for safety, camping would not have to be a thing of the past. After all, the University allows students to show up early on the day of games, just not the night before. If they truly wanted to prevent lines or camping, they would assign seats just as UNC has chosen to do.
Camping isn't truly a “need” anymore. The advent of Sabre Points and their incorporation into Timed Entry already narrow the best seats down to a select group of just under 300 students. However, for those fourth years who are seeking the experience and the camaraderie that comes with camping out for their final game as college students...well, for now they've been left out in the cold.
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