This post was updated March 7 at 1:59 a.m.

Part of the fanfare for one of the greatest college basketball rivalries is the ritual before tip – the sleepless night on pavement and the sea of tents that stretch down Bruin Walk and wrap around the UCLA campus. 

For the Bruin faithful, it was a night of sleep worth losing.

But for the first time in years, the long-lived tradition will be stripped from fans, and a tradition that created a battle before the battle will be erased. 

UCLA Athletics announced Thursday afternoon that overnight camping will be prohibited for Saturday’s crosstown showdown between UCLA men’s basketball and USC at Pauley Pavilion, citing the university’s interim Time, Place and Manner policies. 

The university’s interim TPM policies regulate public expression by restricting campus gatherings to certain locations and times and banning the use of camping equipment on campus. 

[Related: UCLA announces new Time, Place and Manner policies, limits public expression areas] 

UCLA Athletics confirmed that its existing season ticket line policies will stay put, meaning students looking to secure an entrance-guaranteeing wristband will be allowed to line up starting 9 a.m. Saturday – eight hours before tipoff. The wristband system has been in place since November 2021.  

“Student safety is a priority, and crowd management plans well above industry standard have been put in place,” UCLA Athletics said in a statement. “We ask that the students please abide by the policies outlined and the direction of event staff on site, and we look forward to the students in attendance providing an electric atmosphere in the final home game of the season against the crosstown rivals.”

This decision upends a longstanding student ritual of camping out before marquee matchups – particularly against USC – and has proven a practice that fosters school spirit and amplifies hype in the lead-up to highly-anticipated contests. 

[Related: Students camp out for UCLA men’s basketball’s rivalry game, pack Bruin Walk]

In past years, UCLA students have braved cold nights and long hours outside Pauley Pavilion, turning the wait into an event of its own – complete with games, music and engagements from coaches and players alike. 

While the decision adheres to broader campus regulations, it is likely to draw frustration from students who see the overnight wait as a rite of passage – especially for the regular season finale and Battle for Los Angeles. 

The Bruins claimed the first iteration of the two schools’ regular season showdown Jan. 27, leaving Saturday’s game as both a rematch of the enemies and a determinant for the squads’ Big Ten Tournament seeding.