Just as the surface of the Kohl Center transforms and adapts to the sports it hosts, student fans of basketball and hockey games have adopted similar, yet diverse traditions for different sports.
Both UW-Madison hockey and basketball teams have seen an upsurge in winning percentage and attendance in recent years. The basketball team reached the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament in 2000'the first time it had achieved that feat.
The Badger ballers have received a berth in the March Madness Tournament every year since'most recently with a trip to the Elite Eight in 2005.
Students and other fans have flocked to the Kohl Center to support the basketball team, bringing with them enthusiasm that has made Madison a feared stop for opposing teams.
Jared Finger is a UW-Madison senior who has been attending Badger basketball and hockey contests since his freshman year.
A raw, unbridled wall of sound is one of the main goals of the student section at a basketball game, Finger said. Students jump up and down and scream at the top of their lungs, especially when the visitors have the ball.
'It's all about noise and less about creativity,' Finger said.
Fans 'razz opposing basketball players, but not as frequently or creatively as at hockey games where jeers and insults aimed at opponents have become an art form.
Prior research is common among die-hard fans who hope to find information they can use to get inside the heads of opposing players'especially the goalie. Finding out the goalie's mother's name and using it to taunt the player has been a common practice.
The opposing goalie is stationed in front of UW's student section for two of the three periods making him especially vulnerable to brutal taunts and jeers. Finger speaks fondly of a crack in the glass near the net through which students constantly scream at the goalie.
Recently UW officials have cracked down on many types of lewd or obscene cheers in an effort to make the Kohl Center a more family-friendly atmosphere. Despite disappointment in losing some cherished cheers, Finger said he understands the concerns of UW administration, and pointed out that the student section is being forced to be more creative when coming up with songs and cheers.
UW student hockey fans are known nationwide for their jeers of 'sieve' which they level at opposing goalies whenever a shot is taken.
At both basketball and hockey games, fans subject opponents to the 'alligator clap' ' arms held out in front, parallel, with palms facing together. This sarcastic clap is used to taunt adversaries at all sporting events.
In the end, it comes down to a balancing act. Students will continue to push the bounds of taste in search of the most effective cheer and school officials will crack down when they feel the cheers have gone too far. What is assured though, is that Wisconsin will continue to produce fans that are among the loudest and most enthusiastic in the nation.
