Here’s how Wisconsin fans ahead of Badgers’ NCAA Tournament opening | Wisconsin Badgers Men’s Basketball

MILWAUKEE – The rain was falling outside the Fiserv Forum early Friday night, but lines of people were waiting to get to one party, then another.

On one side of the Deer District Plaza was the bar that hosted the pregame gathering for fans of the University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team before it opened its NCAA tournament.

On the other hand, there was the queue to get into the arena where the Badgers played Colgate in front of what looked like a mostly pro-UW gathering.

“Look at that crowd,” said Clara Chambers of Milwaukee as she looked down from the patio of Punch Bowl Social next to the arena. “Wisconsin people come out, no matter what.”

A few minutes earlier, the UW Band and Spirit Squad inflated the audience with some musical standards. Later, it was up to the team to keep them going.

Chambers and Jose Alicea of ​​Madison arrived at the arena area around noon, about nine hours before the Badgers and Raiders were scheduled to tap to conclude a day of four first-round games. It was relatively quiet back then, but the volume of red-clad UW fans increased through the day.

“Getting it right here is just ice cream on the cake,” Alicea said. “It’s awesome.”

Fans said the pregame band of rain, which slowed down the foot traffic, was quiet before the storm to get into the Fiserv forum.

“I expect it to be pretty crazy inside, especially for the Badgers game,” said Zach Volz of Eau Claire.

The fans were not thrilled with the Badgers entering the NCAA Tournament in their first two-game losing streak of the season, but that did not diminish their outlook.

“Of course you do not want to come into the tournament with the momentum we have now,” said Volz. “But I do not see why we can not go all the way if you ask me. We have insults. We have defense. And we have Johnny Davis, so that’s all you need.”

Vince Herber of Apple Valley, Minnesota, pointed out that Iowa won four games in a row to win the Big Ten Tournament Championship and then dropped out of the big dance in the first round Thursday.

“Our region, it’s in the air,” he said. “I think it’s a good chance to make a run.”

The atmosphere around the arena does not correspond to the experience last summer as the Milwaukee Bucks made their way to the NBA Championship, said UW-Madison alumnus Tom Wagner. But it was a nice flashback.

“If you’re a badger fan living in Milwaukee, it’s funny to see this city turn red like my days in Madison,” Wagner said.

Tickets were expensive at the secondary market but Brian Mann of Chicago and his friends and family did not have to go through the increased costs. Man bought weeks ago before you know the Badgers will be sent to the first and second round games in Milwaukee, calling it a “high risk, high reward” game.

“Elo I’m smart, “he said.

Did he intend to sell when prices went up this week? “Ni,” said Mann.

“My wife offered to sell,” said Mike Greenway of Milwaukee, “but that was quickly shut down.”

Fiserv Forum hosted NCAA first and second round games for the first time since opening in 2018. The event is scheduled to return in 2025.

But there’s a story in Milwaukee with the NCAA Tournament. The venue known as the MECCA Arena hosted Mideast regional games on the first weekend in 1984. The Bradley Center was an NCAA site seven times between 1992 and 2017, including a 1992 finish that became a fixture on NCAA Highlights for years due to James Forrest’s second round buzzer beater for Georgia Tech against USC and Al McGuire’s memorable “Holy Mackerel!” ruffen.

The Badgers played in two of these weekends at the Bradley Center. UW defeated Richmond in 2004, but then lost in the second round to Pittsburgh. An opening round robbery against the Americans 10 years later led to a come-from-behind victory against Oregon to get the Badgers on the Sweet 16.

UW players appreciated having the chance to play in their home country, but said they had bigger things to worry about.

“It’s great to play in your home country just knowing we have the same fan base we had at home all year,” said Johnny Davis. “But we’re more focused on the game rather than the location of it.”

Brad Davison said Badgers fans could save some money with the games in Milwaukee, but perhaps he did not take into account the high cost of tickets on the resale market.

“We are happy to have a lot of red in the Fiserv forum,” he said.