The Student Council Athletics Affairs Committee will propose a resolution tonight for the creation of a student-fan group called the Hoo Crew.
Members of the Hoo Crew will benefit from being able to sit together in a reserved priority seating section during all basketball and football home games.
"It has been a big problem when gates open because people who are rushing and fighting for the good seats in the front rows have been injured," said Student Council Engineering representative Keith Favreau, who sponsored the resolution proposing the Hoo Crew.
The creation of the Hoo Crew will help eliminate the dangerous rush for seating because member fans will be guaranteed a premier seat, Favreau said.
Other advantages of becoming a member of the Hoo crew will include eating dinners with coaches and players and going on road trips for away games, Favreau said.
"Hoo Crew will be the result of a lot of hard work to create tangible benefits for students and holding fans accountable for their attendance," Council Executive Vice President Whitney Garrison said.
In addition to enhancing fan seating at home games, the main purpose of the Hoo Crew is to increase student involvement and promote school spirit, Favreau said.
"The Hoo Crew will improve the appearance of UVA Athletics so that everyone will have on the same T-shirt and be unified in their cheers," he said.
The Hoo Crew will be a powerful publicity tool for the University, said Graham Tucker, Council Athletic Affairs Committee chair.
"I really and truly feel that this will change the University as a whole, not just our athletics," Tucker said.
Tucker said he hopes that the Hoo Crew will match up to the "Screaming Demons" at Wake Forest, who have received nationwide publicity because of their large student-fan group at games.
According to Favreau, there has been mostly positive feedback about the Hoo Crew among students and the Virginia Athletics Foundation.
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