Antourage is UCI’s “premier student section,” which is part of the crowd at a university sports game that hypes up the rest of the crowd to cheer for their team. They uplift school spirit at games by cheering from the front row, handing out posters and engaging with the crowd. Antourage also collaborates with other school spirit groups, like the Anteater Band and Spirit Squad.
According to fourth-year theater student and Antourage Co-Captain Rhianna Heaster, Antourage existed long before the pandemic and was revived in the winter 2023 quarter by UCI Athletics Marketing. In January 2023, they emailed all undergraduate students to recruit Antourage Leaders. Currently, there are around 15 members.
Second-year business economics student and Antourage Co-Captain Penelope Vela first joined Antourage with her best friend.
“At first I was kind of shy, like when they put me in the front row. I was nervous to get up and tell people to yell and put their zots up,” Vela told New University. “As time went on, I grew my confidence. Now, I yell at people all the time. I’m confident just going up to people on Ring Road telling them, hey, there’s a basketball game tonight or whatever.”
Vela spends around eight to 10 hours a week discussing marketing strategies with her team, posting graphics and making TikToks and reels. She also actively engages with audiences by handing out flyers and cheering at games.
A typical game day for Heaster begins with finishing all her regular tasks and mentally preparing for what lies ahead. Before each game, she arrives at the venue at least an hour early to get organized and hand out posters.
However, Heaster’s recent diagnosis of fibromyalgia, a condition that causes pain and affects her neck and back, makes it difficult for her to cheer.
“Because I am usually jumping up and down, yelling really loud, and physically exerting myself so much during the 2-3 hour games, I have to prepare my body for the strain of that and oftentimes deal with the consequences after the fact,” Heaster told New University.
Beyond the logistics of game days, Heaster reflected on the deeper role school spirit plays in shaping UCI’s campus culture. According to Heaster, while UCI boasts nationally ranked teams across multiple sports, many students hesitate to attend games or engage with UCI Athletics. She said that students don’t need to love sports to enjoy the events; the sense of community and spirit is what makes the experience memorable.
“People always say that UCI is a boring school where there’s nothing to do,” Heaster said. “But then when there is an opportunity to change that, like going to athletic events and actively engaging in the game, students are very hesitant.”
Although some may hesitate, others, like Vela, believe school spirit through athletics is an essential part of campus life.
“I think sports is like such a big part of college,” Vela said. “It’s a great way to connect with your school, connect with your peers and find a community. So that’s why I think it’s really important for school spirit to be a thing on campus.”
The Meet the Moment Referendum — which would have funded Division I NCAA UCI sports, concerts, spirit rallies and a new Women’s Beach Volleyball team — did not pass in the recent ASUCI election.
Some portions of the student body didn’t want to pass it, while others did. Vela and Heaster both wanted the referendum to pass, though they felt conflicted about it.
“Students should not have to pay more money,” Vela said. “I do fear that if the referendum doesn’t pass and we start losing sports and we go down to D2 that we won’t stay competitive in like that top 10 ranking of public schools.”
Regardless of the results, students can still join Antourage or nominate someone interested.
“Students — please support Antourage and break the stereotype that UCI is socially dead and a boring school,” Heaster said. “Someone very wise once said ‘It’s a great day to be an Anteater’ and truer words have never been spoken.”
Neelanjana Anne is a Features Intern for the spring 2025 quarter. She can be reached at nsanne@uci.edu.
Edited by Kaelyn Kwon