| When the Sports Arena was put together on campus in 1948,
students quickly and affectionately dubbed it "The Barn." Arriving
early to ensure getting a seat for varsity basketball games became a ritual
extending over two decades. Back then, penny loafers, bobby sox,
and flat tops or crew cuts, were part of a student identity. Note:
not a Nike or Reebok shoe in sight. The 2,000 or so who crowded into
this war surplus gymnasium on game nights usually left smiling. From
the 1950-51 season through 1967-68, Auburn won 140 home games and lost
only 35 in the friendly confines of "The Barn," which rival coaches sometimes
referred to as a snakepit. -- Photo: AU Photographic Services |
