It is said that Unofficial began when the University moved spring break to the week of St. Patrick’s Day in 1995, sparking frustration from bar owners who would now be missing the holiday crowds. Ten campus bars joined forces for a “Shamrock Stagger” — a St. Patrick’s Day-themed bar crawl — to take place the week before students left town.
What started as a business move to maintain holiday profits morphed into an all-out annual celebration, not just of the Irish holiday — but of debauchery itself.
Over the next three decades, The Daily Illini reported on the weekend’s shenanigans, which seemed to grow in intensity every March.
The DI sifted through its archive to find the landmark triumphs, tribulations and comebacks that have marked the past 30 years of Unofficial celebrations on campus.
In 2002, University administrators claimed that too many students were showing up to class intoxicated.
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As part of a 2013 article from The DI, a UIPD officer recalled intoxicated students throwing up in class, urinating in the aisles and running through large lecture halls “years ago.”
That same year, a reporter followed along a group of underage freshmen students, documenting their mad dash to stash alcohol from a resident advisor before heading out to drink all day.
The celebration claimed its first casualty in 2006. An alumna wearing Unofficial paraphernalia died in a motorcycle incident in which the driver was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol. By 2009, the Liquor Advisory Commission mandated all campus bars to allow entry only to patrons 21 and older.
Another student, a reporter for The DI, died in a car accident during Unofficial in 2011, leading to enhanced traffic enforcement the following year.
Despite increased police enforcement, Unofficial continued on. In 2013, The DI reported on security guards at lecture halls, who were present to check bags or identify “disruptive students.”
Another tragedy occurred during Unofficial 2017, when a student fell to his death from a balcony. The following year, Champaign Mayor and Liquor Commissioner Deborah Feinen prohibited Champaign bars from serving customers between the hours of 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. during the weekend.
The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic dimmed the lights on most of daily life, and Unofficial was no exception. One reporter from The DI wrote in a 2021 article that “The pandemic may be the final straw in putting this event to rest.” Even Joe’s Brewery is quoted in the article, saying, “‘Unofficial is no longer a thing.’”
However, post-COVID-19, a new drinking mechanism landed on the Unofficial scene: borgs. An acronym for “Black Out Rage Gallon,” borgs are gallon jugs filled with alcohol and (in this case, green) mixers, carried from place to place while partying. They quickly became a hallmark of the weekend.
Though still widely known across campus, some argue that the officially unofficial event has lost its spark.
“This tradition has a rich history going back to the 1990s, but in more recent times, it has become a shadow of its former glory,” wrote columnist Grayson Hodson in a 2024 piece for The DI.
Hodson cited the serious accidents that have occurred in recent years leading to stricter city and University response during Unofficial.
This year’s Unofficial will take place this upcoming weekend, Friday and Saturday.
