My First Time In BWA

[870hog]

Saturday was my first time in Fayetteville for a game, football or basketball. I received some great seats from a Foundation member so a buddy and I drove over from Jonesboro. We are both undergrads at ASU but love our hogs. That first time calling 'em up in Fayetteville was a feeling unlike any other. It gave me chills and was honestly one of the greatest experiences of my life. The place literally upended after the Gafford dunk and Daryl's 3. I can't remember what point of the game it was but after one of the big plays my ears started ringing. Bud Walton was LIVE to say the least and I ended up coming home without much of a voice. My first game in The Bud was something I'll never forget and I hope to be back soon, hopefully either the A&M or Kentucky game, maybe even sooner. What a great win, WPS! 🐗

[IronMountainHog]

Glad you enjoyed yourself and that you got to see a great game.

[Roadhog82]

It definitely sounded like the place was jumping on tv. You picked a great game for you're first. I was at the Minnesota game and thought the crowd was awesome. But it wasn't a nail biter like this one so I can imagine how fun it must have been

[old_school_hawg]

Great story! I remember my first hog game...I was thirteen, my dad took me to Barnhill to see the hogs play Hakeem Olajuwan and the Phi Slamma Jamma Houston Cougars. Joe Klein and Charles Balentine led the Hogs to a 73-68 victory over there mighty cougars. They were ranked #2 and have lost a SWC game in two years. This was just about a month after that same team knocked off the #1 and undefeated Tar Heels led by Michael Jordan and James Worthy. I had the feeling of euphoria and excitement! The Barn was so loud I thought my ears were gonna bleed and my throat was sore afterwards! What a memory! It was my Dad's first game, too... What a special memory! Keep going, my friend, and always remember that feeling you had at this game. It will help you during the dark times and remind you how special the hogs are!

[razorback1829]

A true basketball nerd question my 70's, 80's Barnhill guys who currently go to games now.. was the student section as rowdy as it is now? It certainly wasn't publicized to the degree it is now. I wanna know!

[hawgmasta]

Congrats man!

I remember my first game was against auburn, in football. My older sister and now brother in law took me while in school there. Walking in to the stadium it was hard to hold the tears back. I grew up watching games with my father and grandfather and always knew the hogs were the best team in the world regardless of the outcome. It may seem silly to some but all those years of watching on tv and then actually being there was intense. Keep going my man

[Inhogswetrust]

A true basketball nerd question my 70's, 80's Barnhill guys who currently go to games now.. was the student section as rowdy as it is now? It certainly wasn't publicized to the degree it is now. I wanna know!

Since I was a student back then I'll be a little biased, but yes it was. Abe Lemons one time was strolling off the court and they had to hold him back from going in the student section after someone one time. I honestly remember one time the players couldn't hear a Refs whistle blowing. I saw several opposing teams players look into the student section and the area in the corner where the hog wild band was across from them and look on in amazement.

[jjdlc]

Since I was a student back then I'll be a little biased, but yes it was. Abe Lemons one time was strolling off the court and they had to hold him back from going in the student section after someone one time. I honestly remember one time the players couldn't hear a Refs whistle blowing. I saw several opposing teams player look into the student section and the area in the corner where the hog wild band was across from them and look on in amazement.

Agreed, it may just be nastalgia, but while the student section has really come back to life the past couple years, it still doesn't hold a candle to the late 80s to mid 90s.  The student were rabid back then, and the atmosphere created was intense.  Just getting in to the student section took extreme dedication.

[old_school_hawg]

A true basketball nerd question my 70's, 80's Barnhill guys who currently go to games now.. was the student section as rowdy as it is now? It certainly wasn't publicized to the degree it is now. I wanna know!

My opinion, yes it was.... The hog wild band was awesome and the student section... Just wow. I think since Barnhill was a bit more cozy than the Bud, that compounded the noise level.

[hobhog]

My opinion, yes it was.... The hog wild band was awesome and the student section... Just wow. I think since Barnhill was a bit more cozy than the Bud, that compounded the noise level.

Student section went from mid court front row all the way to top, and then half section behind basket. That's the difference between the two. It was nuts.

[pghawg1]

I remember when I was a student in the 70's we used to Camp out before the games the night before at  the north side of BARNHILL. There was one game I believe, we were playing Texas and Sutton went by the doughnut shop and bought several boxes of doughnut to give to us ,students.

[Cinco de Hogo]

Remember the noise meter?  It was always near the top and Robkiem(sp) was very intent on keeping it there.

[hawkhawg]

A true basketball nerd question my 70's, 80's Barnhill guys who currently go to games now.. was the student section as rowdy as it is now? It certainly wasn't publicized to the degree it is now. I wanna know!

I don't think that the students today can even imagine what it was like in Barnhill.  It was wild.  No one sat down the whole game. 

[Bogghawg]

A true basketball nerd question my 70's, 80's Barnhill guys who currently go to games now.. was the student section as rowdy as it is now? It certainly wasn't publicized to the degree it is now. I wanna know!

I was on the hill from 84-88 and yes, our student section was larger and louder.  We had to camp out every game to get lower seats.  The main reason the crowds had more energy in the day was named Jim Robken. Period.  William tell, for instance, it barely a shadow of it's former self.  I have tried to explain it and express myself on here before, but apparently you quite simply had to be there.  I remember the K-State mascot bowing down to our student section during a time out once.  When the other team would call a time out to stem our momentum the band and the students, heck the entire crowd would just grow and grow and by the time the game started again it was twice as loud as when the time out started.  I remember once when we were all in our seats hours and hours before the game verses Mizzou was about to start. Norm Stewart walked over to the student section with a brown paper bag.  He reached in and pulled out handfulls of bubble gum and threw it to us and said, "Now chew on these and stay off my a#@". 

[Hollywood_HOGan45]

I don't think that the students today can even imagine what it was like in Barnhill.  It was wild.  No one sat down the whole game. 

This is what I crave for the BWA to get back to. It was crazy vs Tennessee but I'd love to have it back like that for every game.

[razorback1829]

I don't think that the students today can even imagine what it was like in Barnhill.  It was wild.  No one sat down the whole game.

I was a youngin back in the 90's as I'm in my early thirties now, but I remember going to the Barn in the 90's.. just loved the way the Hog Wild Band would run around the arena the whole game, student section was brutal (I was a ball boy a lot), and the noise meter stayed at its peak most the games.. it was awesome. Old Bud Walton was nothing to sneeze at either though.

[From Tusk Till Dawn]

It is a memory you will always cherish and by sharing you took all of us back through memory lane.  It's also a great reminder of what success does to a fan base.  I grew up at the pinnacle of our Bball success and as a parent I can only hope my kids can experience how that makes you feel.  Thanks for sharing!

[hawkhawg]

It is a memory you will always cherish and by sharing you took all of us back through memory lane.  It's also a great reminder of what success does to a fan base.  I grew up at the pinnacle of our Bball success and as a parent I can only hope my kids can experience how that makes you feel.  Thanks for sharing!

I was thinking the same thing after Tenn game.  Maybe now my kids can experience what I did in college at Basketball games.

[BrooklynRoss]

I was at the '94 Alabama game in Bud Walton when we beat them 102-81 after they beat us in Tuscaloosa earlier in the season (one of our three losses, and this was the year they had Antonio McDyess and believe it or not, Alabama was a powerhouse back then).

I was up in the nosebleeds but it was so freaking loud that I still hear it echoing in my head. It's great to see the Bud getting back to that. I watched the TENN game on TV, and when the crowd called the hogs in the last minute of regulation, it was so loud it rattled my sound system. I got chills.

[ShadowHawg]

Went to some very big games in both the Barn and the Bud. The Bud is louder.

The Barn was was more exciting atmosphere because of Robken.

If the Bud could ever get a guy like Robken it would have no peers now or in history.

We have been blessed as Hog basketball fans to have two such incredible venues to watch games in.

[HawgWild]

Glad to see BWA rocking again. Weren't we sold out for all games from the late 1970s through 2000?

[razorback1829]

Went to some very big games in both the Barn and the Bud. The Bud is louder.

The Barn was was more exciting atmosphere because of Robken.

If the Bud could ever get a guy like Robken it would have no peers now or in history.

We have been blessed as Hog basketball fans to have two such incredible venues to watch games in.

I think I heard a story in which Bud Walton Arena wasn't supposed to have 19,000 seats but somehow got the top section added to it in the final planning stages.. anybody know what I'm speaking of or am I just making that up?

[Atlhogfan1]

I think I heard a story in which Bud Walton Arena wasn't supposed to have 19,000 seats but somehow got the top section added to it in the final planning stages.. anybody know what I'm speaking of or am I just making that up?

Yes.  It was originally to be about 15K and would resemble Iowa's in that sense.  Just the lower level.  But the cost of adding the upper level wasn't much more and the demand was there.  BWA was designed somewhat after The Pit.  More seats closer to court than any other at the time it was built. 

[hawkhawg]

I was at the '94 Alabama game in Bud Walton when we beat them 102-81 after they beat us in Tuscaloosa earlier in the season (one of our three losses, and this was the year they had Antonio McDyess and believe it or not, Alabama was a powerhouse back then).

I was up in the nosebleeds but it was so freaking loud that I still hear it echoing in my head. It's great to see the Bud getting back to that. I watched the TENN game on TV, and when the crowd called the hogs in the last minute of regulation, it was so loud it rattled my sound system. I got chills.

Those early 90's Bama teams were very good.  That was our only home lose the first two years in the Bud. (30-1)

[BrooklynRoss]

I think I heard a story in which Bud Walton Arena wasn't supposed to have 19,000 seats but somehow got the top section added to it in the final planning stages.. anybody know what I'm speaking of or am I just making that up?

It's true. We were the consensus number one team in the nation at the time and Bud said I'll throw in a bunch more money if you "Make it bigger."

[HognitiveDissonance]

A true basketball nerd question my 70's, 80's Barnhill guys who currently go to games now.. was the student section as rowdy as it is now? It certainly wasn't publicized to the degree it is now. I wanna know!

I would say the students are close to the same, but the difference now and then is Jim Robken.
Robken as band leader and all his crazy antics made Ark basketball and the Hogwild Band a unique phenomenon in college sports. He was one of a kind and irreplaceable. It will never be the same.

[Cinco de Hogo]

Did anyone else notice the Hog Call chart in the student section?  Last time I saw it, it was at 37 I think.  That's a lot of Hog Calls!

[clew]

I heard the hog call on tv more during the UT game than I have in maybe forever.  It was awesome--reminded me of being a student in the early 90s.  Wish I could make it up from Houston for a game.  And for the record, the loudest basketball game I ever attended was in Barnhill against UK on a cold Wednesday night in  1993.

[Tejano Jawg]

I was at the '94 Alabama game in Bud Walton when we beat them 102-81 after they beat us in Tuscaloosa earlier in the season (one of our three losses, and this was the year they had Antonio McDyess and believe it or not, Alabama was a powerhouse back then).

I was up in the nosebleeds but it was so freaking loud that I still hear it echoing in my head. It's great to see the Bud getting back to that. I watched the TENN game on TV, and when the crowd called the hogs in the last minute of regulation, it was so loud it rattled my sound system. I got chills.

On a related note...my first Bud Walton game was like yours—the revenge game for our only other regular season loss in 1994, to Mississippi State. A Fayetteville buddy got me tickets, and I think, they were in the student section. I think that was our last game of the year, before the tourneys started, so it was really rowdy. M-State had Erick Dampier at the time. And we thumped them. I was thrilled to hear all the crowd reports from the Tennessee game. That's how it's gotta be!

My U of A time was 1981-85...the years of camping out for tickets. Later on, as I recall, they did a weird thing where they didn't announce WHERE the tickets would be on sale, until the minute they went on sale. Everyone was wandering around campus, hoping they were close to ground zero. Anyone remember that?

[oldhog63]

I remember when I was a student in the 70's we used to Camp out before the games the night before at  the north side of BARNHILL. There was one game I believe, we were playing Texas and Sutton went by the doughnut shop and bought several boxes of doughnut to give to us ,students.

I camped out from Tuesday until Saturday morning my freshman year for season tickets. Fun times! Was 60th in line which ended up being around 1500 by the end of the week. Last year for that.

[870hog]

Glad I could share my story with you guys. Tough loss tonight but we will bounce back. Gotta have faith!

[BroyledNutts]

I was on the hill from 84-88 and yes, our student section was larger and louder.  We had to camp out every game to get lower seats.  The main reason the crowds had more energy in the day was named Jim Robken. Period.  William tell, for instance, it barely a shadow of it's former self.  I have tried to explain it and express myself on here before, but apparently you quite simply had to be there.  I remember the K-State mascot bowing down to our student section during a time out once.  When the other team would call a time out to stem our momentum the band and the students, heck the entire crowd would just grow and grow and by the time the game started again it was twice as loud as when the time out started.  I remember once when we were all in our seats hours and hours before the game verses Mizzou was about to start. Norm Stewart walked over to the student section with a brown paper bag.  He reached in and pulled out handfulls of bubble gum and threw it to us and said, "Now chew on these and stay off my a#@". 

That's a fantastic memory. Bud Walton has its own atmosphere, but it will never be what Barnhill was ... There's just an entirely different attitude and demeanor now than there was then ... and there will never be another Jim Robken, either.

[ricepig]

Student section went from mid court front row all the way to top, and then half section behind basket. That's the difference between the two. It was nuts.

Yep, I only had front row seats once, from 76-80, and they were for the Texas game.

[Cotton]

Saturday was my first time in Fayetteville for a game, football or basketball. I received some great seats from a Foundation member so a buddy and I drove over from Jonesboro. We are both undergrads at ASU but love our hogs. That first time calling 'em up in Fayetteville was a feeling unlike any other. It gave me chills and was honestly one of the greatest experiences of my life. The place literally upended after the Gafford dunk and Daryl's 3. I can't remember what point of the game it was but after one of the big plays my ears started ringing. Bud Walton was LIVE to say the least and I ended up coming home without much of a voice. My first game in The Bud was something I'll never forget and I hope to be back soon, hopefully either the A&M or Kentucky game, maybe even sooner. What a great win, WPS! 🐗

A lot different than the Convo!

My first game was against Memphis is 1995.  Sat behind one of the goals.  We won the game by 1 point and that place really was the Basketball Palace of mid-America.

[870hog]

Does anyone know where I could get one of the Charlotte natl. champ sweatshirts? I saw someone wearing one at the game. It was grey and had some black and blue on it I believe.

[HognotinMemphis]

Saturday was my first time in Fayetteville for a game, football or basketball. I received some great seats from a Foundation member so a buddy and I drove over from Jonesboro. We are both undergrads at ASU but love our hogs. That first time calling 'em up in Fayetteville was a feeling unlike any other. It gave me chills and was honestly one of the greatest experiences of my life. The place literally upended after the Gafford dunk and Daryl's 3. I can't remember what point of the game it was but after one of the big plays my ears started ringing. Bud Walton was LIVE to say the least and I ended up coming home without much of a voice. My first game in The Bud was something I'll never forget and I hope to be back soon, hopefully either the A&M or Kentucky game, maybe even sooner. What a great win, WPS! 🐗

It that was one of the greater experiences of your life, you have yet to live. Too young to have experienced the triplets in Barnhill or the early 80's teams under Sutton with Walker, Robertson, Hastings and Kleine. That was real basketball and sell out crowds every game.

[Inhogswetrust]

My opinion, yes it was.... The hog wild band was awesome and the student section... Just wow. I think since Barnhill was a bit more cozy than the Bud, that compounded the noise level.

It wasn't just the noise. It was the fact almost half the arena was filed with loud crazy students. Imagine what BWA would be like with that.