Lucas SmithSportswriter

Passionate student fans now have an official home, courtside at home basketball games and hope to make a lasting impact on opposing teams.

The SDSU student body has forever been without an “official” home at Frost Arena, leaving Jackrabbit nation seated sporadically during home basketball games. Not anymore. Students now have a territory to call their own: the Rabbit Den.

The Rabbit Den was created by a non-profit student organization in hopes of generating more fan participation at Jacks home games. The organization worked with the athletic program to get the project started.

Membership in the student sector costs ten dollars for the entire year and each Rabbit Den constituent will collect a t-shirt upon joining along with a free soda for every home game. Members will also receive preferential seating in lower section of the south side at Frost Arena. In addition, official gameday props will be handed out pregame in the form of foam fingers, Santa hats, pom-poms, and other items.

Public Relations and Marketing director Kameron Anderson hopes the Rabbit Den will unify Jackrabbit faithful.

“It’s a cheap way for students to get priority seating and get more involved,” said Anderson. “We want to pump up the student section and give the teams extra support.”

The idea of the Rabbit Den is to unite students and boost school spirit. “Students feed off each other. We want people to get loud,” Anderson said.

Fan participation at college basketball games is a major attraction throughout the country. Schools like Duke University have the Cameron Crazies that create a hostile environment for opposing teams, an example the Rabbit Den hopes to follow.

SDSU jumped to the Division I ranks in 2004 and joined the Summit League in 2007 making way for higher class competition. The women host Arizona St. and Iowa a Frost Arena in marquee games this month alone.

“We are trying to create that D-I atmosphere,” said Den member Tim Goldammer. “We want to get people hootin’ and hollering in order to support the Jacks positively.”

The men’s team is currently ranked No. 17 in the Mid-major poll and the women’s team is the two-time defending Summit League Champions making for another exciting environment this year.

Ten dollars seems a fair price for reserved seating with all proceeds from the Den going to pay for t-shirts and props. The student organization is working on promotional programs including a white-out game and an all pink game supporting the fight against breast cancer.

Last weekend’s games against NDSU was the Rabbit Den’s inaugural event. So far, the official student only section boasts around 100 members. “Hopefully, we can get our numbers up around 500 and fill the entire section,” said Anderson.

The goal for this year is to prove to other programs that the Jackrabbits are a unified front with major school spirit.

Sign up sheets are available at the student union and a booth is stationed at home games. The Rabbit Den also has a Facebook page with information available about their website and upcoming events.

“This is a building year but hopefully we can catch on,” said Anderson. “We want to get the word out that we are here to stay.”