Block Seating

Block seating emptied out early in the second half of the Alabama vs. Georgia State game. (Ben Flanagan/al.com)

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama -- Angry Alabama football fans took to Twitter Saturday night as they watched the student section in Bryant-Denny Stadium empty out for another game, and it seems fans aren't the only people taking notice.

According to a report in The Crimson White, SGA President Jimmy Taylor emailed leaders of student organizations with block seating before the game, warning them to stay in their seats or else.

"Administrators will review photos and film of the student section from the games," the email stated, according to The Crimson White. "Seating will be taken away from those organizations who abandon reserved seating. I have also been informed that this is a 'pilot year' for SOS and if sections do not remain full, this will likely be the final year of Student Organization Seating."

, student organizations have signed agreements to stay until the conclusion of games.

On Monday, a University spokeswoman referred any questions about block seating to Taylor, whose press secretary declined to answer any specific questions about which administrators are involved.

Empty student seats are not unique to the 2013 football season. The SGA rolled out a new program, Play for Four, Stay for Four, this school year in response to the lackluster student support seen in years past.

In the Student Organization Seating handbook, updated in July 2013, "excessive tardiness or early departure from the stadium" is listed as "unacceptable behavior."

According to the handbook, an organization's first offense would result in the loss of block seating for the next conference game and the second offense would result in the loss of seating for all remaining games.

Both sanctions would also include a point deduction on the organization's block seating application for the 2014 year.

Organizations would be banned from applying for block seating in 2014 if levied with a third offense.

Leela Foley, SGA press secretary, said there have been no sanctions levied as of Tuesday evening.

"SGA will continue to encourage sustained student attendanc

e at football games," Taylor said in a prepared statement. "We are currently and will always research other programs and initiatives to support this goal and any other goals that work to enhance the student experience at The University of Alabama."

While student attendance across the board looks patchy during blowout games, block seating -- the seats reserved in the south end zone for organizations, a majority of which are traditionally white fraternities -- is regularly the first to empty out after halftime.

Because block seating is reserved for organization members until 45 minutes before kick-off, its sections are also typically the last areas of the stadium to fill up.