Badger Huddles, gatherings of UW-Madison alumni at away football games, will now involve less alcohol.
Taking a cue from the university's effort to curb excessive student drinking, the Wisconsin Alumni Association, which sponsors the events, is changing the alcohol availability policy at the Badger Huddles.
\With all of the changes that have been posed in terms of fan behavior, the pressure that's been put on students to change their behavior, we feel that alumni should follow suit,"" said WAA vice president of programs and outreach Jeff Wendorf. ""We should try to set a good example ... of not being irresponsible in terms of providing alcohol at all of our events.""
""It's one element of an overall effort to improve game-day atmosphere, improve fan behavior and to model more responsible behavior,"" UW-Madison Chancellor John Wiley told The Capital Times.
In the past, tickets for the Badger Huddles included food, entertainment and beverages with free refills, according to WAA president and CEO Paula Bonner. Under the new policy, food, entertainment and non-alcoholic beverages are included, but a cash bar option has been put into place for those in attendance who wish to have alcohol.
Bonner says the measure was taken both to cut increasing program costs and to maintain the focus on the ""spirit-building"" and camaraderie at the events.
Both WAA spokespersons said misbehavior on the part of alumni in attendance had nothing to do with the decision.
""I have been with the Alumni Association for 15 years and I can't cite one example [of trouble with fans],"" Wendorf said.
The Badger Huddle events started in 1973, and serve as an opportunity for out-of-town UW-Madison alumni to go to football games and cheer on their alma mater. The events are co-sponsored by regional UW-Madison alumni clubs and many of the proceeds from ticket sales go to the Matching Dollar Scholarship Program, which raises money to send students from those areas to UW-Madison.
""We give out close to $550,000 a year to students,"" Bonner said.
According to Bonner, there have been no complaints from alumni regarding the changes.
""We had a couple of calls from folks checking in ... we just explain it and they say 'Oh, OK',"" she said.
