Crowds flooded the student entrance at Yulman Stadium on Saturday, jostling to see the Tulane University Green Wave take on the Duke University Blue Devils.
According to the Tulane University Athletics Instagram, it was the largest student crowd ever at Yulman Stadium.
Tulane University students pressed against barricades and each other in an effort to get into the game.
Energy was high as students migrated from bars, parties and pregames to watch former Tulane quarterback Darian Mensah return to his old home field as a Blue Devil.
Tulane Athletics made an effort to accommodate as many fans as possible for the 6 p.m. game.
Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall urged students to pack the stands. “It needs to be a raucous environment. We need the stadium to be electric,” Sumrall said in a Tulane football Instagram post on Sept. 9.
“There were a lot more people than I expected, and a lot of people were pushing to the front,” sophomore Charlotte Waldo said.
Despite arriving early, Waldo said it took an hour and a half for her to get in. “It was testing my patience to wait in the line when I knew that I could get in easier if I pushed,” Waldo said.
“Everyone just started pushing each other … There was barely any security,” sophomore Audrey Gotham said.
Amid the shoving, Gotham said she was knocked to the ground.
Gotham is in recovery from an injury, and said the chaotic nature of the crowd put her physical progress at risk.
“No one should not have to go to a game because of an injury,” Gotham said. “I feel like people in the games just need to be more mindful of how many people are there.”
Around 7:30 p.m., stadium security began handing out general admission tickets so students could attend the game, even with the student section full.
Each game, Tulane sets aside 4,000 seats for students and allows students to sit in the remaining unsold seats throughout the stadium.
According to a statement from Tulane spokesperson Mike Strecker, 4,947 students attended the game.
“Tulane Athletics is committed to ensuring all patrons have a safe and enjoyable gameday fan experience,” Strecker said. “Industry standards such as metal detection, bag screening, clear bag policy, prohibited item policy, etc. will remain in-place for all Green Wave events.”
After Tulane beat Duke 34-27, students stormed the field to celebrate the Green Wave’s victory with players and staff.
“It was really fun, definitely a very surreal experience, not something that most people get to do in their college experience,” Waldo said, referring to storming the field.
As students leaped over walls and ran towards the field, Mensah sought out his former head coach to exchange a hug and some words before being rushed off the field by state troopers.
Tulane anticipated that students would storm the field, according to Strecker. To prepare, Tulane Athletics, Tulane University Police Department and event staff implemented security procedures.
Unlike the South Eastern Conference and the Atlantic Coast Conference, Tulane’s membership with the American Athletic Conference does not appear to require fines for storming the field.