Photo: KU’s national championship 2008 banner in Allen Fieldhouse
Basketball season has begun. I am proud to say that I have gone to every home basketball game, when classes are in session, during my four years at KU. For those of you confused how camping works, here are the rules:
Lottery
- Lottery is the morning after a home basketball game. It is at 6 a.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. on weekends. The lottery is in Allen Fieldhouse or in the parking garage next door. The doors open 30 minutes before lottery. The doors are locked at 6 a.m. or 8 a.m. sharp and you will miss lottery if you aren’t inside the garage or Allen Fieldhouse before then.
- The lottery order is by order of when groups sign in. This year, groups can sign in online starting one hour before the lottery. In years past, sign-in was by paper. People would stand outside Allen Fieldhouse from 4 a.m. or earlier until the doors opened just to sign their group in.
- For every five people in a group, the group can draw a number. A group can have up to 30 people in it. The lowest number is what is recorded.
- After the group draws, you are free to leave or to start camping depending if people decided to suspend it, which is based on a vote before lottery or planned suspensions because of women’s basketball games or other reasons.
- Your group number could become lower. For example, a group could pull 247 as their lowest number. But really be 45 because no groups pulled numbers in between. The group actually drew the 45th lowest number pulled.
Camping
- Camping is from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends.
- Someone from your group must be there during those times if you do not want to take the chance of getting crossed off the list.
- At any time, anyone can call roll. If you do not say “here,” your group will be crossed off. You will have to re-sign up at the bottom of the list.
- Some people call roll at 9:55 p.m. and then again at 10 p.m. to get people to think it is over at 9:55 p.m. and get groups to leave – don’t be fooled!
- At any time groups can vote to suspend camping. Every group has to unanimously vote to suspend it.
Camping is not that bad. It is inside Allen Fieldhouse. There is wi-fi. Some groups bring air mattresses. And, sometimes the basketball players bring the campers pizza. Sounds like a pretty great deal, right? Plus, you get to be a part of an awesome KU tradition!
For those of you not wanting to camp or be in a group, no problem. You can stand in the general admission line for students. However, this line goes in after all the camping groups. There is a small chance that Allen Fieldhouse will be at capacity before the general admission line goes in and you will not get in. I have never seen this happen in four years, but it is a possibility. Either way, enjoy the games. Rock chalk!
Photo: Inside Allen Fieldhouse