Police are preparing for large crowds in downtown Madison on Monday evening as the Wisconsin men’s basketball team takes on Duke for the NCAA championship in Indianapolis.
After Saturday’s matchup against Kentucky, thousands of Badgers fans filled the State Street area to celebrate the win. Madison police expect a similar crowd after Monday’s game, and have plans in place for crowd and traffic management. Police spokesman Joel DeSpain said they don’t expect any problems, even if the Badgers end up losing.
“This took place last year, when we played Kentucky during the Final Four. We lost that game, and people were still very well-behaved even though we had a large crowd on State Street,” said DeSpain.
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DeSpain said the Police Department plan to shut down traffic in the State Street area soon after the game ends. Madison officers will also be joined by members of the Dane County Sheriff’s Office and University of Wisconsin-Madison Police.
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