The Auburn men's basketball team continues to play during March Madness, as they recently entered the Final Four. As Downtown Auburn bars prepare for the game day tradition of watch parties, they must prioritize security concerns as well as crowd management.
The Auburn Tigers are set to play the Florida Gators on April 5 at 5:09 p.m. CST in the San Antonio Alamodome, hoping to gain another win and move on to the championship game.
SkyBar, one of Downtown Auburn’s most popular bars, is anticipating and preparing for a large crowd for the game.
“With busy game days, we look back at old sales, door money and units sold from matching game days. That usually gives us a good idea of the numbers. The bigger days, we usually are fully staffed behind every bar and we like to have at least 35 in security,” said Oliver Goodenough, bartender at SkyBar.
Southeastern Bar, another Downtown Auburn hot spot, is known for being a popular location to watch sports, mainly due to the high number of televisions throughout the bar.
Collin Christopher, a security guard at Southeastern Bar, described how the crew prepares for the chaos and influx of customers during game days.
“It all comes down to prep the day before and pre-shift, making sure the bars and liquor rooms are stocked and stuff like that. The barbacks and bartenders generally know what will sell faster depending on the day and time of day and management knows how much security to schedule to cover all positions,” Christopher said.
Although setting up for game days can be time-consuming and stressful, Christopher enjoys the atmosphere and enthusiasm presented by fans.
“The energy of working a game day can be very exciting, especially after a big win — the bar gets electric,” Christopher said.
In addition to SkyBar and Southeastern Bar, rooftop bars in the downtown area need to be prepared. The Wittel Rooftop Bar, located at The Collegiate Hotel, recently released a new mocktail menu for those who are under 21, so they can still enjoy a drink while watching the March Madness games.
“It has five signature non-alcoholic drinks on it. So, if you haven’t had the chance to stop by yet, you definitely need to! They are so tasty,” said Mary-Brooks Thomas, the bar manager.
Many Auburn students gather at bars to watch the games. The passion displayed by fans can be felt throughout Downtown Auburn.
“I love being around so many other Auburn fans who care about the team. Hearing the reaction after big moments is crazy. The crowd always explodes. People are on their feet and cheering for every point,” said Kyle Benjamin, junior at Auburn.
As the basketball team prepares for the game, so do students. On the day of the game, students will arrive at the bars with more than enough time to score the perfect spot.
“Usually we get there about an hour or two early to make sure we get the best spot to watch the game. We have a big group, which makes these games even more special,” Benjamin said.
Although the Auburn Tigers will be tackling the Florida Gators at the Alamodome in San Antonio, there will be no shortage of Auburn fans downtown, eager to support their team from home base.
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