Inside ‘The Eye’ of the Hurricanes

By Ashley Sewall 09-19-2025

They're present at every Miami Hurricanes athletic event, cultivating that infectious Cane spirit we all feel each time student-athletes bring home a win, but their efforts often go unnoticed. Behind "The Eye," the nickname for the student section, Category 5-or Cat 5-works tirelessly to encourage the student body to show up and support their teams.

Cat 5 was established in 2000 as an agency of student government to preserve and implement sports-related traditions and spread U spirit. The student-led group builds camaraderie among the students and student-athletes, energizing the student section at nearly every sporting event to cheer on fellow Canes.

"We want to reach as many students as possible in both sporting and nonsporting ways and create a safe and inclusive environment for all students to just come and join together over our common love of alma mater and of sports," said David Kuper, who currently serves as chair of Cat 5.

Holly Miller serves as the faculty advisor for Cat 5, supporting students behind the scenes.

"I think something Category 5 does really well is that whether the team is good or bad, they're going to give it their all, and they're going to provide an environment that makes it fun to come back again and again," Miller said.

Julia Campbell joined Cat 5 last year and is a part of the creative committee, photographing sporting events.

"I saw Cat 5 as a great opportunity to meet new people while also engaging more with athletics and school spirit," Campbell said. "I've had an amazing experience getting the chance to cover games and capture the energy of the student section. Being part of Cat 5 has helped me feel much more connected to the school and its community."

Their efforts go beyond game day. The organization plans around 50 events a year for more than 8,000 students, including watch parties, away game trips, and pep rallies. Throughout the football season, Cat 5 sets up pregame Student Fan Zones near the student entrance for home games at Hard Rock Stadium.

"Fan zones are our student tailgate before the game," Kuper explained. "[Students can] get free food, a free giveaway item, and enjoy the game. It's close to the student entrance, so students are able to transition to the game easily."

Their most recent initiative provides transportation for students from University Village and the residential fraternity houses on campus to Stanford Circle, where buses pick up students to take them to Hard Rock Stadium.

"A common complaint from students was that they didn't want to walk so far," Kuper said, referring to the distance between University Village and Stanford Circle. "So for bigger games where we know there's a higher interest to go to the games, [we wanted to] facilitate easier transportation."

The student section thrives on deeply rooted traditions, which led to Cat 5 being named the Taco Bell Live Más Student Section of Traditions in 2024.

"It's been really cool and interesting to watch them gain national attention over the past couple years for their traditions," Miller said. "They've been recognized in the media on sports broadcasts for really bringing the atmosphere to games, making it difficult to play the Hurricanes when they're at home."

A student favorite is "storm warning," a tradition that takes place between the first and second quarters of football games, when Cat 5 members set off crowd-safe fire extinguishers from the sidelines, creating a cloud of smoke over the student section.

"To ignite the student section that way and be connected to several years of tradition is really cool," Kuper said. "And as a senior now, reflecting on these last couple times that we're going to do at Hard Rock Stadium has been very meaningful to me."

Cat 5 is getting ready to energize a sold-out student section with their favorite traditions at Saturday's White Out game against the Florida Gators.