| 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. |
