In preparation for Monday night’s basketball game, State Street filled with cardinal-and-white-clad Badger fans waiting outside the campus’ most popular bars as early as 1:30 p.m.
Students were left in the cold outside State Street Brats, Whiskey Jacks Saloon, Roast Public House, the Church Key and many other bars while waiting for them to be under capacity and able to let in more people.
Seth Blackstone, area general manager at Brats, said people began lining up to save tables at 11:30 a.m. and the bar reached its capacity in the early afternoon. He added the special occasion brought a calmer ambience than typical sporting events because the majority of people inside were just “hanging out” and waiting for the game to start.
Aaron Smith, a junior from UW-Whitewater, said he drove to Madison and waited outside Whiskey Jacks to experience the Badger atmosphere and be among fans.
“It’s something that’s never happened before in most people’s lifetimes, so it’s really awesome,” Nitty Gritty General Manager Michael Leto said. “Everyone is in a great mood, wearing red and really supporting their team.”
He added that patrons saving tables for hours can lead to challenges in monitoring their consumption, so staff had to pay extra close attention to make sure everyone was having fun safely.
Sophomore Mackenzie Healy arrived outside Brats at 1:30 p.m. and said she would be willing to wait until 8 p.m. to get in so she can watch the game with fellow fans.
“Everybody wants to be together. That’s Wisconsin’s thing,” Healy said. “If you’re a Badger, you gotta stay with the other Badgers.”
