Fan base grows in Young Alumni section

The men’s and women’s basketball teams at Belmont University have many fans who cheer them on during games in the Curb Event Center. Student fans are so important to the team that they have their own designated courtside cheering section. But, what about those Bruin fans who’ve recently graduated? Those fans have not only graduated from Belmont, but, they’ve graduated from the student cheering section at the basketball games as well. Not to worry though, those fans are making a presence for themselves at Belmont basketball games and have their own “Young Alumni section” to prove it.

The “YA section” is a specific seating area in section 105, just to the left of the student section in the Curb Event Center arena where young alumni who have graduated from Belmont in the last 10 years sit and cheer on the Bruins during home basketball games.  The idea for the “YA section” was created in 2005 by Chip Hayner, a 2004 graduate, who wanted a place for him and other young alumni to sit and watch basketball games.

“The year after I graduated, I wanted to continue attending basketball games and supporting the team,” said Chip Hayner, former member of the Young Alumni Council and founder of the “YA section”. “So, I got four season tickets across the court, where all of the other season ticket holders sat. I found, however, that I was unable to be the ‘excited’ fan that I was before in my season ticket seats.”

The following year, in 2006, Hayner renewed his season tickets, but instead of sitting in his normal seats, he would try to sit in section 105 at each home game. “If I got to the game early enough, I was able to get a seat near the front, where I could yell and jeer, while still being able to sit during most of the game,” Hayner said.

As friends of Hayner’s graduated and also became young alums, they began joining him in section 105. “Through talking with the Office of Alumni Relations, my friends and I were able to lock in season tickets for the front row of this newly formed section,” Hayner said. “We started with six tickets the first year, grew to eight the second year, and now we’ve almost filled up the first two rows.”

Young alums have had season tickets in section 105 for three years, but the “YA section” became the official name of the seating section in the 2007-2008 school year.

“The YA section” was formulated by the Young Alumni Council. The YAC is a group of 30 young alumni, 10 years out of Belmont, from a range of class years and with representation from each university college. The YAC create and implement programming for all young alumni.

“Basketball is very important to young alumni because the alumni were Bruin fans in school and continue to be Bruin fans as alumni,” said Kelly Fish, director of the YAC. “The young alumni genuinely care about the team’s success.”

“We like to sit and yell and the visiting team and the referees and the comradery in our section is unbelievable,” said Charles Van Dyke, member of the YAC. “It continues that sense of community you feel while going to Belmont, plus, if you don’t know anyone around you when the season starts, you’ll know them by the end of the year.”
15-20 young alumni attend basketball games at the Curb Event Center.

“The young alumni have such a presence at basketball games because we remember how great it was to feel that excitement as students and we want to continue it,” said Reca Barwin, member of the YAC.

The “YA section” and their presence are apparent at Belmont basketball games and as homecoming approaches many young alumni are gearing up for the event, recruiting their friends to participate with them in growing the section.

“As the popularity of Belmont’s basketball program grows, we would love to see the attendance at our games continue to equally rise,” Hayner said. “One of the best ways to do this is to encourage active students, whom have grown to love the games while at Belmont, to come back to the games after graduation. By having a section that is specifically dedicated to young alumni, we are able to keep the fan spirit alive and carry it even after students have left Belmont.