Chaos reigned on the campus of the University of Connecticut after the Huskies beat San Diego to win the championship on Monday night as fans coursed through the campus, turning over cars, ripping 20-foot-long light poles out of the ground, smashing windows and doors, and setting things on fire.
Beating the San Diego State Aztecs 76-59 to take the NCAA Tournament Championship gives UConn its first NCAA win since winning the March Madness title in 2014. And the fans lost their collective minds over the victory.
The Storrs arena went wild with the final call as fans flooded the court:
ALL IS GOOD IN STORRS. pic.twitter.com/q7UDKGLbvi
— UConn Students (@UConnStudents) April 2, 2023
But the mere celebration was not going to hold for long. Outside the arena on the UConn campus, chaos reigned.
VEISHEA VIBES IN STORRS pic.twitter.com/hkqBvEqzD5
— Barstool ISU (@BarstoolISU) April 4, 2023
chaos in storrs #UCONN pic.twitter.com/FQcwoVW6M0
— Just Noogs (@justnoogs) April 4, 2023
https://t.co/Rs3ZsiLZ2C pic.twitter.com/YJC8RTd5Yd
— Boogs (@vond0tta) April 4, 2023
storrs after winning a natty: pic.twitter.com/9Hysi88slu
— ☯︎ (@juhkneesuh) April 4, 2023
UConn campus right now pic.twitter.com/sPIGckjVwi
— ANTON (@AntonAllTime) April 4, 2023
Down goes a light pole at @UConn. Students rowdy and lively on campus after @UConnMBB win the national championship. @NBCConnecticut pic.twitter.com/m1dNbklOGA
— Jeremy Chen (@JeremyChentv) April 4, 2023
Absolute mayhem on the UConn campus after the national championship pic.twitter.com/k0zn5TBRyG
— Gaby Molina (@M_GabrielaMo) April 4, 2023
According to school officials, 15 people were arrested during the craziness and charged with various offenses.
Another 16 needed to be taken to the hospital to be treated for injuries during the wild celebration.
“The vandalism primarily consisted of broken light poles in the center of campus,” a school spokesperson told TMZ, “broken glass in windows in some nearby buildings and a Student Union door, a vehicle turned on its side, and fires set in trash dumpsters and on wooden benches.”
“UConn Facilities Operations crews were on campus overnight and into this morning to document and clean up the damage. The damage estimates are still being determined,” the spokesperson added.
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