It has been 576 days since fans cheered on the Golden Eagles from the student section at Fiserv Forum during the last home game of the 2019-2020 men’s basketball season, and 205 days since fans were last welcomed into the stadium to celebrate National Marquette Day and Senior Day with MUBB in March 2021.
And while a lot has changed since then for the team and the world, one thing that hasn’t is the excitement Marquette students like Matt Cerven, a junior in the College of Engineering, possess to return to the student section for the 2021-2022 season.
“I can’t wait to break out the overalls again,” Cerven said.
Due to restrictions put into place during the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020-2021 basketball season saw an empty stadium and eyes glued to televisions instead.
Victor Alex, a senior in the College of Communication, said that while not being able to cheer on the basketball team from the Fiserv was far from ideal, watching the games from home last season was still enjoyable.
“It doesn’t account for watching a live game hearing the fans around you, it’s a different environment, for sure, but people [could] always find someone to watch the game with,” Alex said.
Student tickets for the upcoming men’s basketball season went on sale Sept. 21 – Sept. 24, each day reserved for a different group of people. The first day of ticket sales was reserved for students who previously held season tickets during the 2019-2020 season. The next three days released tickets to students based on their year at Marquette: seniors and juniors Sept. 22, sophomores Sept. 23, and first-years Sept. 24. Any remaining tickets were released on Monday, Sept. 27 and are now entirely sold out.
For Donny Robbins, a sophomore in the College of Art & Sciences, securing tickets for the home games was a priority on Thursday as he wasn’t able to attend a game in person during his first year at Marquette.
“I almost lost the tickets because I didn’t have my debit card. I had to run from the library to Eckstein [Hall] with my backpack before the timer ran out,” Robbins said. “But I made it in time.”
When it comes to the nonconference game schedule, California native Robbins said that he is looking forward to when Marquette takes on the UCLA Bruins at Fiserv Forum Dec. 11.
“One of UCLA’s star players, Jamie Jaquez, went to my middle and high school,” he said. “I’m really excited to see him play.”
The biggest change in the Marquette men’s basketball roster took place at the top, as Shaka Smart replaced Steve Wojciechowski as head coach at the conclusion of the 2020-2021 season. Another factor that may shake things up for the Golden Eagles are the nine new faces that have joined the ranks, including first-year guard Stevie Mitchell and redshirt first-year forward Olivier-Maxence Prosper.
Cerven said the change in coaching and the introduction of new players to the team is something he is looking forward to seeing this season.
“I’m excited to see the difference between coaching and how it’s going to be different from last year’s team,” Cerven said. “Hopefully [Smart] is bettering the team, and the new guys we got will help build the team.”
After over a year of not being in attendance at Fiserv, Alex, Cerven and Robbins believe the atmosphere at the first home game, set to take place Nov. 9 against Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, will be unlike anything they have ever experienced.
“I feel like everyone is going to be in the same mindset [of] ‘I’m happy to be here’ and just living in the moment,” Alex said. “You’re not thinking about what is going on when you leave the game, everyone is just locked in.”
While a pandemic may have kept fans away last year, there is no doubt that the student section will be packed and pumped to “Ring Out Ahoya!” when the men’s basketball season gets underway later this year.
This story was written by Kim Cook. She can be reached at [email protected].
