AUBURN, Alabama – Over the past few seasons, Neville Arena has earned a reputation as one of the toughest environments in college basketball.
Auburn was very successful on its home court and its student section, known as “The Jungle,” received much recognition for the team’s accomplishments on that court.
A AuburnTigers.com The article, written by Greg Ostendorf, included a quote from ESPN’s Rece Davis about the atmosphere at Neville Arena.
“The intensity — it’s going to be as good as anything you see,” Davis said. “I’m not going to sit here and be disingenuous. I love Allen Fieldhouse (Kansas). That’s my favorite place. But at this level of rising stars, rising, relatively young arenas and student areas and fan bases, I would say this is one of those that is rising quickly and will give us a fantastic environment.”
Head coach Bruce Pearl has made it a habit to thank Auburn students after each game and acknowledge the impact they have had on the team’s performance.
Organizing a group of over 2,000 college students doesn’t happen on its own; it requires a lot of planning and preparation behind the scenes.
The Jungle’s leadership team consists of 17 Auburn University students who assist the athletic department with game day planning, setup, and teardown.
Leading the group is Jungle President Griggs Blankenburg, a senior from Charlotte, NC, studying marketing, who stressed that he feels at home in Auburn, even though he didn’t grow up an Auburn fan.
“I’ve been very well received, especially in organizations like The Jungle where most of the people are from out of state,” Blankenburg said. “I’ve been very well received through things I’ve been involved in my freshman year. I’ve met people that I now consider lifelong friends, and it’s just great to be part of a culture and a fan base that is so open and welcoming to people.”
Blankenburg served on the leadership staff for two years before becoming president, and he spoke about what the opportunity to lead the organization means to him.
“It means everything to me,” Blankenburg said. “When I got that text from our former president, it meant a lot to me. I got a little emotional, too. The history of this organization, its reputation on a national level, to just take responsibility for it, means a lot to me.”
Blankenburg mentioned what he believes The Jungle will accomplish under his leadership.
“I want us to grow,” Blankenburg said. “I want us to continue to grow with other sports. I want other sports to feel like they can come to us like volleyball has in the past. I want other teams like soccer, softball, baseball or others to seek our help. We want to help, we want to spread the word about your sport.”
“The most important thing we want to see is that Auburn students love and celebrate every sport on this campus.”
