Thousands of fans packed Green Street and the Quad on Saturday night, celebrating the Illinois men’s basketball team’s 72-57 victory over Louisville to advance to the NCAA National Championship game. Despite the large crowds and some prior concern about riots, the celebration was relatively free of violence.

Many celebrators started the festivities on Green Street just a few minutes after the game had ended at about 7:15 p.m. People rushed to the intersection of Sixth and Green Streets from all sides, forming an impenetrable mass of orange.

Strangers high-fived each other, while others danced. Some climbed trees and street lights on the edge of the sidewalk. Others stood on the roof of Gameday Sports, 519 E. Green St.

“Who wouldn’t be on Green Street for this?” asked Andrea Valle, senior in LAS, who said she had never seen anything like it.

Pathik Bhatt, sophomore in engineering, brought a drum to the celebration and attracted dancers who followed him as he made his way down Green Street.

“We’re here to celebrate; We’re number one!” he said, followed by cheers from those gathered around him.

Crowd members also climbed on top of the Alma Mater statue, screamed and hoisted their arms in the air. Other celebrators climbed nearby trees. Some crowd-surfed, supported by a parade of people moving away from Green Street.

As the size of the crowd swelled in front of the Alma Mater, an older man yelled “To the Quad!” thrusting his arm toward the center of campus. He described himself as a University alum and 50-year resident of Urbana, but refused to give his name. Crowd members cheered and high-fived the man, and a few girls danced against his leg as they moved towards the Quad.

The man said he thought the victory ranked close to his memory of the 1963 season as the top in Illinois’ basketball history.

“I’ve seen demonstrations, but not celebrations like this,” he said.

A mass of people gathered on the Quad side of the Illini Union, hugging and chanting “I-L-L! I-N-I!” Just before 8 p.m., the rapidly growing crowd swarmed south across the Quad towards Foellinger Auditorium.

People hung out the windows of Foellinger and the group of celebrators filled nearly the entire Quad back to the Union. Fireworks shot into the air. People filled the steps and plaza in front of the auditorium, dancing, crowd-surfing and chanting “F*** NC,” in reference to Illinois’ opponent in Monday’s championship game.

“It was awesome,” said Christopher Bestian, freshman in engineering, who was among the last remaining celebrators on the Quad a little before 9:30 p.m. “Really, school spirit was in the air.”

Approximately 8,000 to 10,000 people participated in the celebration, according to University Police Chief Oliver J. Clark. Clark said there were three arrests in connection with the Campustown celebration.

There were also three calls for emergency services – two related to intoxicated individuals and one head injury, according to Clark. He said there were no reports of property damage.

Champaign, Urbana and the University planned preventative action to avert a riot after Saturday’s game, including extra police officers in Campustown and disallowing the sale of alcohol in glass or aluminum containers.

Police officials declined to give a figure on how many officers worked Saturday night, but Clark said close to every officer did.

Clark said that officers were surprised by how quickly the streets filled after the game, but he thanked celebrators for acting responsibly.

“It was good, clean fun and that’s what we’re asking for everyone to do (on Monday),” he said.

Clark said police expect a larger crowd after Monday’s game. Clark said that the police force will be more spread out, because they will also have to patrol the area around Assembly Hall, where the game will be shown on the Jumbotron.

Clark also reminded fans that they would not be allowed to bring cans or glass bottles into the campus area.

Interactions between students and police on Saturday night were generally cordial.

“The cops have been really nice. They’ve just made sure no one is doing anything stupid,” said Jeff Cahn, sophomore in business.

Cahn also said he was looking forward to Monday.

“I’m excited for what’s going to happen Monday after they win it all,” he said.

For some, the celebration continued into the next day.

Sunday afternoon, University graduates Mary and John Weaver of Champaign, and Rod and Kathy Kingston of Urbana, clothed the Alma Mater statue with a basketball hat, an orange headband and an orange cloth basketball jersey, complete with a black stripe in memory of Coach Bruce Weber’s late mother and a small American flag.

Mary Weaver said the group started working on the jersey Sunday morning. They made the apron-like jersey after measuring the alma mater earlier in the day.

“We just thought she needed to show that she supports the team,” said Mary Weaver.

“You’d think that the undergrads would be doing this rather than us old farts,” said Rod Kingston.