By Emily Pesquera
Barstool UTampa is a popular social media platform not affiliated with the University of Tampa but where UT students go for laughs and school spirit. With 22,100 followers, It is well-known throughout campus.
Students who follow Barstool can submit themselves to be featured on the account associated with UT.
Sophomore Sean Swentkowski is a huge fan of Barstool, seeing how much school spirit this brand can bring to campus.
“I feel it’s (school spirit) increased because it connects the vibe of the city and school with also what barstool stands for,” said Swentkowski. “Humor, creativity, social life, sports, everything that the typical student at UT enjoys is what Barstool tries to reflect.”
Barstool interns for UT had the opportunity to host a whiteout men’s basketball game against Florida Southern on Saturday, Feb 3rd.
Partnering with Barstool for Alumni night and the first-ever student section whiteout, fans, and the team were excited about the game.
Swentkowski had the opportunity to sit down before tip-off with Men’s Basketball Coach Darner in a video posted on UTampa Barstool’s Instagram; the term “new sense of energy” was used often, hoping for change and hoping for at least 5-10 percent of students to attend home games to bring a sense of energy and home-court advantage.
The whiteout game succeeded, with fans packing the stands to support the Spartans. The student section was packed for a UT sports team to support the team and Barstool.
Coach Darner emphasized the huge rivalry between Florida Southern and UT, and the key was a UT win. Formerly coaching for Florida Southern, he understood the importance of winning and having the rivalry back in Tampa.
Unfortunately, the Spartans did not beat Florida Southern with a score of 101-96; the score was only one part of the night, with fan engagement and player excitement being the other key.
Wanting fan engagement and student involvement on game days, no matter the sport, is what Barstool is trying to do for the UT campus.
Olivia Fichter, a freshman, was excited to see what Barstool in college would be like. Coming from high school, where her school did a “high school” version of Barstool, she could not wait to see what UT did.
“At my high school, there was something we did on Instagram, almost every Friday, inspired by Barstool,” said Fichter. “I think it brings more school spirit to UT because it makes people more aware of sporting events and posts content that makes people learn more about UT.”
Barstool highlights events of all sizes, from boat parades to Gasparilla and sporting events; Barstool shows what UT students do to enjoy their time while being a Spartan.
Barstool UTampa even made it onto ESPN College Gameday with a sign stating, “Bring Back UTampa Football.” This sign caught the attention of many viewers, explaining why UT does not have a football team.
The topic of why UTampa does not have a football team is a big part of the conversation on Barstool during college football season. Still, now, partnering with the men’s basketball team, there is a chance for UT athletics to have new energy.