MAY 8, 2025 | SPORTS | By Lilly Asano
A line creeps around Ed Robson Arena’s northern side. House and party music plays from a large black speaker on the raised garden beds between the sidewalk and the building. Some students clutch cups or drinks, desperately trying to finish their drinks or conceal them from the suspicious Campus Safety eyes before the doors open.
A man wearing a gold and red jersey crosses N. Nevada Street, cautiously avoiding the sidewalk where hundreds of Colorado College students wait. The sight of the University of Denver fan causes a visceral reaction: boos, curses and taunting erupt. The man waves his arms, grinning as students and Colorado College Tiger fans take offense to his proximity.
At 4:15 p.m. on March 8, nearly 300 students huddled together, closing spaces to prevent skipping or line-cutting for the most renowned athletic event of the year. They waited outside Robson for the Battle for the Gold Pan, CC hockey’s rivalry game against the University of Denver Pioneers. Doors opened at 4:30 p.m. for student section seats before the 6 p.m. puck drop.
Among the waiting crowd were Gus Boden ‘25 and Aidan Smith ‘25, the two seniors behind the @cc.student.section Instagram page. Smith arrived at 1 p.m., waiting in a lawn chair across the street at South Hall, while Boden arrived closer to 3 p.m.
“People were showing up two hours before to get a spot, whereas freshman year, people were showing up right at puck drop, and they could not only get a seat, but get a pretty decent seat at that,” Boden said. “The demand has grown exponentially, and I think there’s a little more pride on campus. You can see it.”
During Ed Robson Arena’s inaugural season, Boden and Smith became familiar characters at games. Boden started wearing a shark onesie and became the closing feature of a “Baby Shark” cam. Smith, meanwhile, was selected as a Tiger lookalike contest finalist. When his friend decided not to paint his body with him, Smith painted his body yellow with black tiger stripes, and put on a gold Speedo, concealed by tearaway American flag shorts. Once selected as a finalist and brought to center ice, Smith ripped off his pants to reveal his full outfit.
“Most people were speechless,” Smith joked.
Ed Robson Arena opened in September 2021, moving the CC Tigers from the Broadmoor World Arena to campus for the first time in program history. While the World Arena held 8,000 attendees compared to Robson’s official limit of 3,407, the 15-minute drive off-campus limited students’ access to games. Colorado College had also just brought in new head coach Kris Mayotte. 2021 would be a year of change for both the team and fans.
However, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Smith said he saw a loss in student engagement at games.
“We had this great arena, but not many people were going to it,” said Smith. “It seemed like people were mostly there for the hockey, which was great, but it had this potential to become a place where all students could go, whether they wanted to watch hockey or hang out with friends.”
Without marketing directed at students, Boden and Smith saw a void. Students needed a voice to create a student-forward experience.
“We could do something more than just show up to the games,” said Smith.
Following their freshman year, Jessica Bennett, assistant athletic director of marketing, met with Boden and Smith to learn how to further promote campus athletics to students. Boden and Smith proposed an Instagram account to keep students informed on campus athletic happenings, and with Bennett’s approval, created the cc.student.section account.
In an email with The Catalyst, Bennett shared that the pair’s “enthusiasm and reliability made them good candidates.”
Initially, Boden and Smith passed out flyers with chants. They researched each opponent for “dirt” and would encourage students to join in. “STAND UP – GET LOUD – BE PROUD,” reads the bottom of one of their flyers.
When the Tigers played the University of Alaska Anchorage Seawolves on Oct. 7, 2022, their flyers included chants directed at the Seawolves’ goalie’s hairline and the head coach, who allegedly slashed or hit a player with a stick during a practice in 2021.
“Your hairline’s offsides // Your hairline’s offsides // Joey Lamoreaux // Your hairline’s offsides.”
Four years after opening, Robson’s student section filled within 10 minutes of doors opening for their final game of the 2024-25 season. On Friday or Saturdays, Smith called it “the place to go.”
“Now, it’s the part of the rink that sets the tone for the energy in the building,” said Kris Mayotte, head coach of the CC Tigers. “It came from a section of seats that students would sit in to a true student section, and something that creates a great atmosphere for the building.”
Boden and Smith both agree that Robson is unique in connecting students with the larger Colorado Springs community, breaking the “CC bubble” and bringing students and fans together over the sport and love of the Tigers.
Long-time CC Tiger fan, Jenny Tarbox, believes moving CC hockey to campus has been vital in reenergizing the student section.
“We’ve seen many different evolutions of CC Students – from when we were students and the old Broadmoor World Arena literally vibrated with the loudness and you felt the game, to the new World Arena, where some years the Palmer High School Band had more energy than the CC Students,” Tarbox commented on a post in the Colorado College Hockey Discussion Facebook group. “This current group seems to have a ton of fun at the games, the fact that they are right on top of the ice reminds me a lot of the old Broadmoor.”
One disadvantage of Robson is the limited capacity of around 3,500, most of whom are season ticket holders. The current arena record sits at just over 3,700 attendees. According to Vice President and Director of Athletics Lesley Irvine, 90% of seats belong to season ticket holders. Students are asked to sit exclusively in the Mike Slade Student Section, sections 110 and 111, and standing room tickets are also available on game days. However, when these seats are filled, often quickly, students disperse to empty seats throughout the rink.
While students have asked to expand the student section, Irvine is adamant that the sections cannot expand, for now. However, she does urge students to distribute tickets to friends if they decide not to attend. Tickets are free to students, a “no-brainer” for Irvine to create an accessible community on campus.
Tarbox enjoys when students sit in vacant seats.
“I also like that they try to sneak into seats around the arena – that seems engaged and appropriate for students,” she wrote. “And, it’s nice to know that they will not usually come on a Block Break because they are out in the world doing adventurous things, and my friends and neighbors can get their tickets and experience some fun.”
For Mayotte and his players, the student section can be integral to their game performance.
“It energizes us,” Mayotte said. “When you go out there and you can hear the crowd going before you hit the ice, it creates excitement and enthusiasm. They help you build momentum.”
Boden and Smith’s original goal was to increase student presence and engagement at hockey games. As the team became more successful and student numbers increased, they transitioned to promoting all athletic events. They started wondering how to get more students involved with campus athletic programs.
Boden noted that CC’s success over the past two seasons has propelled student interest in sports, leading to a large increase in student attendance at games.
Given more time, Boden wishes he could’ve helped plan more events like pregame tailgates. However, one of his biggest concerns remains with the lack of general college pride across the student body. As a Louisville, Ky., native, Boden grew up wearing various high school or college merchandise or gear, proudly donning various programs. His friends at larger universities or SEC schools all wear campus merchandise regularly. Boden has noticed a lack of non-athletes wearing CC-related apparel around campus and believes it ties into a larger conversation about CC’s reputation and alumni experience.
While Boden and Smith graduate on May 19, they’ve created a legacy at CC. Their dedication to making a student-driven athletic culture has helped fill stands, encouraging tacky costumes and witty signs.
It also has allowed Boden and Smith, roommates during their freshman year, to remain close.
“I love doing it with him,” said Boden.
Boden, Smith and Bennett have not selected the next student to run the cc.student.section Instagram account. However, Boden and Smith have candidates in mind to carry on their legacy.
This story has been edited for clarity.