With the move to NCAA Division II, a group of Biola students has stepped up to improve the atmosphere at school sporting events. Founded and led by sophomore journalism major Seth Subt and a few other students, The Flock shows up to Eagles games to lead chants and energize the crowd. They aim to change the spectator atmosphere of sports at Biola to one where the crowd actively supports athletes from the stands.
“Initially Seth sent an email to Dr. Bethany Miller asking if we would be interested in coming along side these students in their effort to reignite the student section at Biola: The Red Sea,” said Neil Morgan assistant athletic director.
SUPPORT FROM ATHLETICS, SPA
Biola Athletics has done just that, helping the group set up as a club and get organized quickly and easily.
“The support from Biola Athletics and [Student Programming and Activities] has been incredible and we haven’t really run into any issues [because of that],” Subt said.
Though efforts to get the group started up have been slow, The Flock has shown a glimpse into what the future could look like. At the Eagles’ home volleyball match against Azusa Pacific on Oct. 7, The Flock led the Red Sea in chants all match long. The section kept up the high energy from start to finish as they witnessed the Eagles sweep the Cougars 3-0.
“They came out in full force for our Azusa volleyball match a couple weeks ago,” Morgan said. “That was really fun, it was a really good collegiate athletic game atmosphere. Once basketball season gets going we’ll see them really ramp up the efforts and be more noticeable.”
The student section in past years has brought high energy to games, but that atmosphere has since faded. The Flock wants to bring back that atmosphere so it can stay for years to come.
SUBT: WE WANT TO RESTART TRADITIONS
“I used to come here for games in the early 2000s,” Subt said. “We had the rivalry with APU and all these different traditions. We want to restart traditions [and] bring the Biola community together through sports, because it hasn’t really been happening the last few years. We try to get everyone hyped for the entire game.”
The pursuit of these goals goes all the way up to the top of Biola’s hierarchy from its students to even its president, Barry Corey.
“We’ve been given a mandate by President Corey to energize the campus with athletics with this NCAA transition, and I think The Flock can plan an integral role in that,” Morgan said. “It is transforming our athletic events from something that people will come to be casual fans of to something that will be a group effort that unifies the student body in supporting the student athletes all throughout games.”
Biola Athletics will continue to work with The Flock to grow and improve the student experience at sporting events. Plenty of changes continue to happen in and around Eagles sports, and the development of the student section remains central to the those.
