From attending Florida International University’s inaugural football game to taking a cruise ship to the Bahamas, a core group of six fans who regularly occupy Section 112 at Pitbull Stadium has experienced every high and low of the Panthers football program.
Jhon Machado, Bernnon Artola, Lloyd Artola, Danny Mas, Ed Irvin and Danny Denis are all FIU graduates, and all were in attendance for the program’s first game in 2002 at what was then FIU Football Stadium. The Panthers fell to South Florida 17-9 in that contest, four years after the program was officially established.
Several members of the group are now donors, continuing to support the program beyond the stands. Three of the six plan to attend FIU’s appearance in the First Responder Bowl on Dec. 26, when the Panthers will face the University of Texas, San Antonio.
Though they first met more than a decade ago, the memories remain vivid.
“Bernnon and I were tailgating at the inaugural game at FIU Stadium,” Machado said. “We’d known each other since high school. His brother Lloyd knew Danny, and Section 112 was starting to grow.”
A few years later, the group connected with Irvin and Denis through an FIU fan website, and they soon became regulars in Section 112 as well.
“Section 112 loves to tailgate,” Machado said. “Great food, a TV setup and plenty of FIU football history talk are always part of the experience.”
During the 2018 season, when FIU posted a 9-4 record and earned a bowl victory in the Bahamas against Toledo, some fans, including members of Section 112, took an unconventional route to the game: a cruise ship.
“Two members of Section 112, Danny M. and Danny D., made it to the Bahamas Bowl using a creative solution,” Machado said. “They joined an FIU parents’ cruise that docked during the game, leaving their spouses on the ship while they attended.”
FIU went on to defeat the Rockets 35-32, securing the final win of the 2018 season.
What many consider the biggest victory in program history came the following season in 2019 at what was then called Marlins Park, home of the Miami Marlins, against the University of Miami, a rival some in Section 112 refer to as FIU’s “little brother.” The Panthers defeated the Hurricanes 30-24.
“The FIU game against UM was a top-10 day of my life,” Machado said. “There were tears of joy, hours of tailgating and celebrating into the early morning. The city celebrated loudly, and many of us went to campus afterward to greet the team. The atmosphere was electric.
After three consecutive 4-8 seasons, FIU rebounded with a 7-5 regular season this year, earning a berth in the First Responder Bowl against UTSA. The game will be played Dec. 26 at 8 p.m. and will air on ESPN.
Section 112 has embraced first-year head coach Willie Simmons and plans to be well represented in Dallas. Three members of the group will attend the bowl game.
“The last time we made a bowl was in 2019,” Machado said. “We don’t want to miss the first time FIU plays a bowl game in Dallas.”
