Campus camps out for Bowl tickets

Students line up outside the box office at Assembly Hall on Monday morning, shortly after tickets went on sale for the Rose Bowl. Students began camping outside Sunday night at the doors starting at 5 p.m. Erica Magda

Throughout the night and into the early morning more than 1,500 students gathered and huddled around Assembly Hall to get in line for Rose Bowl tickets.

5,250 of the 25,000 tickets given to the University to sell are for student season-ticket holders only.

"I don't think we'll sell out today," said Brian Amentt, athletic ticket office assistant manager.

The ticket office will continue to take orders at Assembly Hall until Tuesday Dec. 11 when the remaining tickets will be made available to the public online and over the phone.

Tickets went on sale at 8 a.m., an hour earlier than announced Sunday night. Students scrambled to pack up tents and blankets as the line slowly crept forward.

Head coach Ron Zook and sophomore quarterback Juice Williams walked through the crowd Monday, drawing cheers from fans. Zook, Vontae Davis and Arrelious Benn showed up last night as well to show their support, Sam Strom, sophomore in LAS said.

"They bring so much support for the team. We're going to need that in California," Williams said.

Students arrived at Assembly Hall as early as 5 p.m. Sunday waiting for the announcement, which came at 7:15 p.m. By 9 p.m., tents lined the West main entrance near the box office.

Adam Pankowski, the first person to buy a ticket, said that he and his friends decided to get in line before they knew where the game would be played or how they would get there.

"I knew I'd get a ticket no matter what bowl we're going to. My brain is kind of frozen right now," Pankowski said. At 8 a.m. it was 21 degrees with a wind chill of eight.

Jennifer Novelli and her sister pitched their tent near the ticket office at 11 p.m.

"I buried myself in my sleeping bag," said Novelli, junior in LAS. Novelli wore three pairs of pants and five layers of shirts beneath her jacket to make it through the frigid night.

Erica Magda contributed to this report.

Check out tomorrow's Daily Illini for the full story and ticket updates