UGA Spike Squad sees athletics as a chance to give back

If a person has ever been to a Georgia home game in the fall, he/she would know the passion of the Bulldog Nation. 92,000+ fans pack into Sanford Stadium, with students, alumni and fans uniting together behind the red and black.

However, over the past half decade, a certain group of UGA students have been at the forefront of Georgia fandom. Sitting on the front row of the student section, The Spike Squad has become a staple to the Sanford Stadium experience.

If you haven’t seen them in person, you’ve surely seen them on television. Graced in their spiked shoulder pads and body paint, the group has racked up tons of TV time during games.

Originating in 2010, The Spike Squad dug their roots in football but have since expanded to other sports. The rabid UGA students can be seen rooting on the gymnastics, basketball, and softball teams among others.

A growing and developing group, The Spike Squad now is a complex and dynamic force at sporting events. Although the group has capped off their membership at 30 per semester, the members are consistently changing and evolving as semesters turn over.

Twice a semester, The Spike Squad holds interest meetings for perspective students. After the meetings, interviews are held to decide the new members. Interviews cover a variety of topics from UGA Sports history to personality questions to see if they would mesh with the group.

However, for those looking to join The UGA Spike Squad, the commitment is not a light one. To get the front row at football games, The Spike Squad has to get to the student gate before other students.

Ian Boatman, a current Spike Squad member and budding atmospheric scientist explained the intense commitment,

“If it’s a 3:30 game, a bigger game, we could probably in front of the student gate by 10 am or 9 am. A typical rule of thumb for us historically has been an hour before the gates open, so two and a half hours before the game.”

9 a.m. is not even close to the earliest time call time for Spike Squad members, however. Boatman was at the student gate for the 2015 Alabama game at 4:15 in the morning in the rain, and he was not alone.

Early mornings are not the only sacrifices these students willingly make. The Spike Squad commits to staying in the stadium for the whole game. No matter the score. No matter the conditions. They stay.

“The Bama game last year was ugly. I don’t even remember the final score. I know we lost by dozens of points… but we were out there until the very end,” said Boatman.

Mark Fox joined the Spike Squad during the LSU Football game, September 2013

For The Spike Squad, their role goes past simply being loud at a game. They feel a responsibility to support the student athletes who have sacrificed so much for the University.

“This organization at its core… is supporting UGA Athletics. We are out there to support the student athletes that are playing. We are there for them no matter what,” said Boatman.

Boatman continues, “They do everything they can to perform for us, to win. So we can Ring the Bell, so we can Raise the Flag in Georgia basketball. They make sacrifices for us. We can’t make the same sacrifices, but there are some sacrifices we can make in return to them.”