With mere seconds left in the Badgers’ Elite Eight basketball game, anxious fans watched as the team beat No. 1 seed Arizona, opening the floodgates for a city-wide stampede of celebration.
State Street became the destination for between 8-10,000 student and nonstudent fans alike to revel in the basketball team’s accomplishment. The gathering also drew Madison and UW police who were prepared for a potential night of chaos.
Both Madison and UW Police Departments worked in conjunction with one another for what turned out to be a “peaceful” event despite the boisterous crowd, according to UW-Madison Police Department spokesperson Marc Lovicott.
Both departments also increased officers on patrol in anticipation of a mass gathering similar to one that happened after the Badgers made it to the Final Four 14 years ago, according to Lovicott.
“Once students started getting onto State Street, we did ask other departments, nearby municipalities to come in if they could help us but it really ended up not being necessary,” Lovicott said. “Everyone was really peaceful.”
Although there were many adventurous people in the crowd who climbed on scaffolding and slender trees planted along State Street, there were very few serious conflicts.
There were “maybe some bumps and bruises but nothing significant that was reported to us,” Lovicott said.
He also said UWPD did not make any arrests.
“We were there just in case, just to monitor the situation, but everyone was very respectful and it was a great celebratory night,” Lovicott said.
Lt. Amy Schwartz of the Madison Police Department also expressed her relief for Saturday night’s positive atmosphere.
According to Schwartz, the crowd dissipated shortly after midnight. Schwartz said she was under the impression the MPD had very few student arrests related to the celebration.
Both Schwartz and Lovicott expect the MPD and UWPD to develop operational plans for the upcoming weekend when the Badgers take on the Kentucky Wildcats for the national semifinals.
“I’ve heard from a lot of students that were down there that they’re marking this as the high point of their whole career here at UW and we’re glad that was able to happen,” Schwartz said.
