If all goes well this season at the Rose Bowl, UCLA students will stand and deliver.
In the only arrangement of its kind in the Big Ten, the Bruins are positioning students directly behind their opponents’ bench as part of a seating configuration that includes a standing-only area in the first seven rows of four sections.
Replicating a concept often used in soccer-specific stadiums will allow UCLA students to give visitors their own special welcome.
“I’m sure their noise, energy and passion will make a difference for our team and enhance the atmosphere at the Rose Bowl this season,” UCLA wide receiver J.Michael Sturdivant said in a statement.
The standing-only area that spans Sections 2 through 6 will feature rows separated by high-strength rails for safety and comfort, allowing students to lean on the bars. The Rose Bowl will be one of the first college football stadiums to use what UCLA athletic officials are describing as “safe-standing areas.”
“I’m incredibly excited for the addition of safe-standing areas for this upcoming football season,” Nick Brown, president of the student fan group The Den, said in a statement. “Having students directly behind the opposing team’s bench will empower The Den’s most passionate students to make their voices heard. I can’t wait to be back at the Rose Bowl to bring the energy and see the Bruins in action.”
Most UCLA students will remain seated in Sections 6 through 10, the corner of the stadium they have occupied in recent seasons.
Student turnout once school starts in late September has been robust in recent seasons even as school officials added massive tarps in each end zone to cover up empty seats. Under previous coach Chip Kelly, UCLA averaged its four worst home season attendance figures since moving to the Rose Bowl in 1982, including 47,951 last season.