Vanderbilt Athletics has officially stopped allowing students into Sections P and Q of FirstBank Stadium. The news came right at the end of the first quarter of Vanderbilt Football’s season-opener against Virginia Tech.

A sellout crowd full of traveling Hokie fans was pushed out of section Q and further towards the north end of the stadium as rowdy students pushed into the stadium. Perhaps sensing that FirstBank stadium was reaching — or perhaps past — capacity, Vanderbilt Athletics made the call to stop letting students enter their designated section.

The pumped-up crowd seemed thrilled with their team’s performance early on, as Vanderbilt entered the half with a 17-3 lead.

Senior Simone Rawicz was sitting near the top of the student section to watch the season opener.

“We’re a football school now,” said Rawicz. “The student section is packed, and the energy is high.”

By the beginning of the second quarter, the student section was completely mobbed, with little room left for the students to move near the field. Photos from students inside the concourse surfaced halfway through the first quarter, claiming there was almost no room to walk to seats. Senior Eric Russenberger was in the concourse during that time.

“It was mainly Virginia Tech people that were keeping us from getting [through],” said Russenberger.

When asked about getting up to his seat in the student section, Russenberger said it was difficult.

“There were probably close to 50 people waiting in the tunnel, and it took me about 30 minutes to get up,” said Russenberger.

The Hokie faithful, known to be an incredibly impassioned bunch, were taking up the vast majority of the eastern bowl of FirstBank Stadium and forcing Vanderbilt’s students out of their designated section. Moments after the second quarter began, the student section, completely filled to the brim, was officially closed off.

Barrie Barto contributed to the reporting on this piece.