'Like a football game on steroids' bars and restaurants prepare for Purdue Final Four game
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The crowds and traffic expected ahead of the Purdue Men's Basketball match-up against North Carolina State in the NCAA Tournament Final Four on Saturday will be that of "a football game on multiple doses of steroids," West Lafayette police Capt. Adam Ferguson said. But Greater Lafayette bars and restaurants are beefing up security measures ahead of the crowds, aiming to prevent any unruly incidents before they occur.
Ahead of the big weekend, Heather Beasley, senior director of operations for Purdue University, said sitting down with first responders and bar owners alongside university officials was important to ensure everyone was on the same page to keep fans safe.
In an email sent out to students Wednesday morning, Katie Semersheim, senior associate vice provost and dean of students, said the university was emphasizing students embody the "Boilermaker spirit" while celebrating this week, offering the slogan, "Champions Make Choices! Choices Make Champions!"
During an emergency bar coalition meeting, Beasley offered bar owners in attendance posters with the slogan to hang around in their establishments in an effort to drive the overall message home.
"No matter what the outcomes of the games and how things go this weekend, we're trying to remind people that they need to be responsible, they need to be making good choices, etcetera," Beasley said. "The gist of the letter to students is going to really be about celebrating responsibly, leading by example, be a positive influence, respect property and public spaces, look out for one another and follow the law."
Purdue Police Chief Lesley Wiete said the department is working closely with Purdue Fire, West Lafayette Fire, West Lafayette Police, Lafayette Police and the Tippecanoe Sheriff's Office ahead of the weekend, emphasizing that police will have a significant presence on Saturday with additional plans for Monday, too, should the Boilermakers advance to the final game.
Purdue athletics will also host students for a watch party on Saturday at Mackey Arena, Wiete said, with max capacity for 8,000. The viewing will only be available to students, who must also be able to present a student ID alongside their electronic ticket. Should the Boilermakers advance to Monday's championship game, Wiete said there will be a watch party only open to students, too, but with a capacity of 10,000.
But for all the other sports fans who won't be in Arizona to watch in person or won't be in Mackey, they are devising their own plans.
John Traylor, night manager for Harry's Chocolate Shop, said the bar was inundated with calls shortly after the Boilermakers won in the Elite Eight game on Sunday, asking if they had permission to camp out for a spot in line Friday night in anticipation of a crowd forming early Saturday morning.
The answer, Traylor emphasized, was no, for multiple reasons. One of the bigger of the reasons, he said, was due to ADA compliance for side walks, but also to prevent trash from being collected by their sanitation provider.
"There will be no lining up to get in until 6 a.m., and the reason we picked 6 a.m. is because I don't want the tents," Traylor explained. "During Senior Week last year, we had a guy show up with a gas grill, like a propane gas grill, to get in line. We were like, get out of here."
Traylor said the bar has had issues with campers in the past blocking access to the alley, resulting in the trash company being unable to empty their bins behind the bar. Ferguson said on a weekend like this, that can't happen.
"During the game, we're going to be proactively patrolling and looking for things that we know will be hazards later," Ferguson said. "I would ask, specifically in the village, that you have a plan in place for your trash services to come empty dumpsters. We don't want excessive amounts of trash spilling into the street, or anything that can burn easily."
But Ferguson said looking at the past few years of behavior an incidents with Purdue's student body, he is optimistic things will go smoothly during Saturday's game.
"I anticipate outside actors would be those who will initiate some of those things," Ferguson said. "From a bar standpoint, if you can to manage the outside influences that might influence students, that would be very helpful."
Traylor said during Saturday's game, not only will Harry's have beefed up security, but the bar will be tighter than ever on capacity, particularly on its second floor.
"We usually don't have a guy who's on the upstairs floor roaming, but my biggest fear is we win and all of a sudden 80 people are jumping up and down all at the same time, and I don't want to figure out if..." Traylor said with a laugh, questioning the second floor's strength. "That's why the past two games I have had a guy on the second floor, asking them the second they see people standing on stools, 'down.' The second you see people start jumping, 'down.' It's like I said, I just don't want to find out."
Ferguson said he wants to see the Greater Lafayette area have, "the biggest, best party that I have ever seen," but just not at the same level as the riots during the 1999 Women's NCAA Championship win.
Both West Lafayette and Lafayette bars, restaurants and breweries will host watch parties to cheer on the Boilermakers on Saturday. While finding a space in Tippecanoe County without the game on may be tough, here are a few making plans ahead of Saturday.
The Neon Cactus, 360 Brown St. in West Lafayette
After adding new TV walls, the Neon Cactus will offer free Mad Mushroom pizza, hot dogs and popcorn to patrons during Saturday's game. $5 mug specials will also be available.
Old Buffalo Bar and Grill, 2511 Old US 231 South in Lafayette
Rib eye, catfish and chicken will be on special for the game, alongside $4.50 24 ounce domestic drafts, $5.75 craft drafts and $5.25 Long Islands.
Where Else Bar, 135 S. Chauncey Ave. in West Lafayette
Opening at 4 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. on Monday, drink specials will be offered alongside free hot dogs.
308 on State, 308 State St. in West Lafayette
Opening at 4 p.m., the first and second floors will air the game, with drink specials to be announced.
Baked By Brittaney, 516 Northwestern Ave. in West Lafayette
The restaurant plans to put up a large projector to view the game, offering ample parking behind the building and with special drinks and food options to be announced.
Ritual Cocktail Bar, 211 N. Second St. in Lafayette
Opening regular hours 12 p.m. to 2 a.m., with drinks specials to be announced.
Linnwood Tavern Bar & Grill, 1244 N. 14th St. in Lafayette
Prime rib, ribeyes and Cajun shrimp alfredo are on special for the game alongside 50-cent wings, $2.50 shots and $11 beer buckets.
Big League Sports Bar & Grill, 140 Frontage Road in Lafayette
The bar will offer $10 beer pitchers alongside their "mac of the month," Cheddar Bay Lobster Mac.
Brokerage Brewing Company, 2516 Covington St. in West Lafayette
Among their craft beer, the brewery will air the game on TV's in the tap rooms.
Tick Tock Tavern, 1816 N. Ninth St. in Lafayette
The bar will offer 50-cent boneless wings and $1 traditional wings, $11 beer buckets and $2 "you-call-it" shots.
DT Kirby's, 644 Main St. in Lafayette
Among the bar's 23 TV's, it will be hard to find a bad seat for viewing the game. Drink specials are to be announced.
648 Bourbon and Cigar Lounge, 648 Main St. in Lafayette
Alongside airing the game, the bar will offer $5 Boilermakers.
Knickerbocker Saloon, 113 N. Fifth St. in Lafayette
In the spirit of celebrating Purdue, the bar will offer $4 Boiler Gold and Boiler Black cans.
Digby's Pub and Patio, 133 N. Fourth St. in Lafayette
Keeping true with the Purdue spirit, the bar will offer $5 Boilermakers, $4 Boiler Gold cans and $9 Boiler Gold burgers.
Jillian Ellison is a reporter for the Journal & Courier. She can be reached by email at jellison@gannett.com. Follow her on X at @ellison_writes.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Where to watch Purdue Men's Basketball ahead of Final Four game
