Building an atmosphere at a sporting event is an art.
Getting fans involved for a game-winning three-pointer, goal or interception isn't necessarily a challenge, but having them be deafening for the 40 or 60 minutes leading up to that is where the true artistry lies.
At the front of every sea of maroon and gold at an ASU sporting event lies the 942 Crew. Named after the number of seats in the student section at Desert Financial Arena, the 942 Crew gets fans involved in whatever ASU game is going on.
The role of the group is more than just leading the student section on gameday. They create posts on social media, coordinate giveaways and work day in and day out to get people to games.
One of their most important members is Harsh Bhanushali, a senior studying informatics, who leads the student section for the 942 Crew.
The Sun Devil fanatic arrived at ASU and immediately wanted to be a part of the fan experience.
"I like the energy out there, and I wanted to be down there feeling the energy, getting the vibes," Bhanushali said. "I like connecting with people. That's why I was like, 'Let me do that thing.'"
While the overarching goal of the 942 Crew is to get fans involved, strategies can differ from sport to sport.
For a sport like basketball, they place a heavy focus on having many chants set for all the different parts of the game. While the "D-fence" chants are fairly common when ASU doesn't have the ball, the 942 Crew cycles between chants when ASU is on offense.
For a sport like football, with less continuous action, the 942 Crew doesn't place as much of an emphasis on chants, instead focusing on making as much noise as possible.
Hockey also has a separate set of chants. From hockey-focused chants like "hit somebody, anybody" to chants that are simply more common in hockey, like "let's go state," hockey game will see a more unique vocabulary from fans than other sports.
This does not go unnoticed by players and coaches. Despite a rough patch for ASU hockey in the back end of the 2025-26 season, fans still showed up and filled Mullett Arena. After a senior night win against Omaha, hockey head coach Greg Powers showed his gratitude.
"I'm happy for our fans too," Powers said. "We owe them a lot more than just this one win for sticking with us. I can't thank them enough for sticking with us through this stretch."
While Powers has spent nearly two decades coaching at ASU and has become accustomed to the Sun Devil support, first-year women's basketball head coach Molly Miller was instantly struck by the fans.
In her first game in Tempe, fans made their voices heard.
Miller thanked the fans before she even went to her post-game press conference. After the win, she went up to the band as they played the alma mater to thank them.
Miller did show her appreciation at the press conference as well, pointing out all of the work done by the people surrounding the program.
"What you all don't see is what goes on behind the scenes," Miller said. "The ticketing, the facilities, the marketing, the 942 crew, the inferno, everybody plays such a big role. So that crowd was a lot of hard work from people here."
One of the more impressive showings from an ASU crowd this school year was when Sun Devil soccer brought out 2,207 fans on Sept. 18 against BYU, breaking the single game attendance record and needing a spillover section behind the goal.
The 942 Crew, making sure to advertise soccer on its social media, created a rowdy environment for ASU's win. Grateful for the support from the community, ASU soccer head coach Graham Winkworth started his post-game press conference by showing that gratitude.
"Thank you to everybody coming out," Winkworth said. "When you're bursting at the seams and having to have standing room only, that's the sort of atmosphere we love."
With an infectious environment, any fan stepping into an ASU student section gets the opportunity to be a part of one of the most special places in Tempe, regardless of the sport or stadium.
Bhanushali was struck by the energy when first experiencing the ASU fan base, but still notices and appreciates the crowds as a senior.
"They love their teams," Bhanushali said. "When they're there for their team, they make it unbearable for the other team."
Edited by Alan Deutschendorf, Henry Smardo and Pippa Fung.
Reach the reporter at aswift10@asu.edu and follow @alexswiftsports on X.
Like The State Press on Facebook and follow @statepress on X.
