A group of six LSU students has united to take on the historical task of bringing the cheers and hype back to LSU sporting events, an effort noticed and supported. They are the Balcony Bengals.
It is more than a balcony. It is a movement.
What was once mere patio gatherings with friends during football season have brought the Balcony Bengals a recent bout of fandom; ironically the self-proclaimed superfans have a following of their own, so much so that men’s basketball Head Coach Will Wade knows them and acknowledges their support.
The apartment balcony where they gather is like a lighthouse, cast in the busy city port that is LSU; its light shines from the closest southern gate of campus and overlooks the traffic of Highland Road. Passersby can see the intrinsic fandom this particular balcony has on any given day−not just game days.
The balcony is draped with a massive white banner reading: “@BalconyBengals” with two notable local brands, Fred’s bar and One Team One Podcast, on its peripherals.
Brandon Barrient, a sports administration junior, always has been a fan of LSU, and now he has taken it into his hands to ensure LSU fans continue to possess the same sense of pride that he was indoctrinated with. Barrient is accompanied on his mission with five other students: Gant Gautreaux, Eli Coleman, Myles Diez, Dean Compton and ‘Goat Man,’ who all share the same passion.
“We all love LSU sports and know what our fans are capable of, but it is really on us to strengthen the student section,” Barrient said. “We are trying to create an impact on LSU’s campus.”
One particular member of the group, going by the pseudonym ‘Goat Man,’ has been draping a goat’s head mask over his face for the duration of the basketball season, and has no plans to remove it. He says that when he puts on the goat mask, with its dual horns, it is almost like becoming a different person, and that ‘Goat Man’ is instrumental to bringing the hype to the student section at sporting events.
Inside Barrient’s two-bedroom apartment, all are welcomed and promptly directed to their bar, which is situated a mere three steps from the loudest balcony in all of Baton Rouge. Throughout their living accommodations, there are several indicators that their movement, which began less than a year ago, has rallied tremendous communal support, as Fred’s Moose flags are hung throughout and Jordy Culotta Show koozies decorate an ever-lit Christmas tree.
“This is an awesome thing we have created to share in with other students,” Barrient said. “It is all so surreal. Thank you to all of our supporters.
It Takes a Village
Co-owner of Fred’s, Jason Nay, said that the relationships and support from the Balcony Bengals have an immeasurable impact on his college bar. Nay, who also runs promotional marketing for the bar, mentioned that the attention garnered from the Balcony Bengals shows that students are energized again for LSU’s basketball program, which has created success for the bar – Fred’s is now open during basketball games, offering an environment for students to continue their excitement during and after games and to create a culture around gamedays.
Nay was initially introduced to the Balcony Bengals by local sports media personality Matt Anderson, owner of the One Team One Podcast. Together, they have supported the student group by providing t-shirts and the iconic banner.
“They [The Balcony Bengals] have had great success with other college students, and we noticed that,” Anderson said. “Students don’t know what it looked like in the Shaq [O’Neal] days. They may have seen clips, but they weren’t there, and they don’t know what that would be like, so I love it that it’s a whole new generation.”
The communal support has expanded since the Balcony Bengal’s initial launch late last year. The Jordy Culotta Show has also tapped into the student’s movement to capitalize and mobilize the student demographic of LSU to attend sporting events. Culotta said that he believes what the Balcony Bengals is doing with the student section is making a lasting impact on LSU’s culture.
“We just really wanted to be a part of what they [Balcony Bengals] had going on,” Culotta said. “They are the face of the movement.”
Fellow students have answered the call as well. Senior Evan Fontenot said basketball games are now “as fun as football games,” and that seeing the student’s support in the PMAC has convinced him to attend more games, more regularly.
Grassroots to Fruition
In 2017, right after Wade was brought into the men’s basketball program, fellow Director of Operations at Virginia Commonwealth University Nelson Hernandez started knocking on doors.
He asked the community, “Hey, what is it going to take for you to come to basketball games?” and followed with, “We will provide food.”
Going from door to door along Dalrymple Drive, Hernandez would not find immediate success. In 2020, while in a meeting with Basketball 365, an LSU team of marketing and creative workers, their complex theories and late-night thoughts would slowly come to a halt.
Enter the Balcony Bengals.
The day prior to the meeting, Barrient and his friends attended an open practice hosted by the men’s team, holding a white bed sheet with their message on it in the purple seats of the student section, and they were loud — so loud they caught Hernandez’s attention.
“Who are those kids up there?” and “We need to find those dudes and connect with them” were the two thoughts Hernandez brought to the next Basketball 365 meeting.
Hernandez and his team found them. Now there are seats in the PMAC reserved for the boisterous group, complete with a large General Wade cutout.
Hernandez served in a similar capacity at VCU under Wade, but he quickly realized that creating a strong student section in Baton Rouge was going to be a challenge. “One of the biggest things that we wanted to accomplish going into this season was to build a student section,” Hernandez said. “It really is the difference.”
The women’s basketball program has also tapped into the Balcony Bengals’ mission. Under new Head Coach Kim Mulkey, the team is nationally ranked No. 13, with plenty of excitement. After Thursday’s overtime win over Missouri, Joe Schwartz, director of operations for the program, joyfully paraded over to the student section and thanked the Balcony Bengals for bringing the noise and hype.
His message was clear: “I let them know that there’s a high level of appreciation for them, one, for showing interest in our program and two, for being there. I definitely appreciate it, and we just love the support. It’s like we’ve got an army.”
The alignment of missions between LSU Basketball, Basketball 365 and the Balcony Bengals has meshed seamlessly with one coherent philosophy: Culture change within the student section at LSU. Schwartz included that support from other teams on campus is a “huge momentum boost” to the program. With both the men’s and women’s teams nationally ranked in the top-15 and finding success so far throughout conference play, expect support for this movement to increase.
“The team and the whole crowd feed off the student section, especially when it’s been rocking like it has been,” Coach Wade said. “Really what the Balcony Bengals and other folks have done is they’ve provided some leadership in the student section, which is really what we’ve needed. Give those guys a lot of credit.”

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Chynna McClinton

Brandon Barrient, Myles Diez and Gant Gautreaux kickback in their apartment.