The Bench is the student rooting section for the University of California men's basketball team. Located inside Haas Pavilion, The Bench holds up to 900 students who rowdily cheer on their California Golden Bears at home basketball games. Students who sit on The Bench receive an annual Bench t-shirt each year and continue to make Haas Pavilion one of the loudest basketball arenas in the Pacific-10 Conference [1]. The Bench prides itself on standing the entire game and ensuring that the arena is a hostile place for any opposing team to play [2].
Although exact dates are not known, the tradition of The Bench was drastically changed in October 2000 when renovations on Haas Pavilion were completed and put a row of portable chairs between the student section and the court. University officials called the move necessary for the protection of referees and players, but students were angry at the move because it further removed them from the action [3].
|