Celina Oseguera
[follow id=”celinaoseguera”]
It was Oct. 27, the first day of ticket sales.
The line stretched from the ticket kiosks at the Recreation Center to Graphic Arts (building 26). Students chatted among themselves as they stood waiting.
They weren’t standing in a snake of a line for just anything. They were there for a ticket — a golden ticket to a crazy night of soccer called the Blue-Green Rivalry.
Those who braved the crowded line had the pleasure of flooding Alex G. Spanos Stadium to watch the Cal Poly men’s soccer team face UC Santa Barbara on Sunday. They, along with the general public who bought tickets, filled every one of the stadium’s seats — 11,075 total.
The student seats sold out before game day. This phenomenon was not rare — it was practically a rule.
Cal Poly’s home installment of the Rivalry has been notorious for selling out all student tickets before the game. According to Director of Athletics Don Oberhelman, the game has sold out consistently within the past few years.
The matchup has a reputation as one of the most attended games in NCAA Division I men’s soccer. According to the NCAA, the Cal Poly home game was the third-most attended in Division I soccer in 2011 at 11,075 attendees and the second-most attended in 2012 with the same figure. The installation of the Blue-Green Rivalry at UC Santa Barbara came in first both years, with more than 13,000 attendees each.
Though student tickets sold out as they had before, there was a higher demand this year, Oberhelman said.
Some students waited for two hours to get a ticket, he was told. He also saw several social media posts about the trail of students waiting for their turn at the kiosk.
“I love the fact our students are so supportive of the Blue-Green Rivalry game with UCSB,” he said in an email. “This has become the greatest rivalry in college soccer, and it is because of the passion of our students. Cal Poly students come to this game and create a life-long memory because of the amazing atmosphere that is created by their attendance.”