UConn championship celebrations caused nearly $123,000 in damages, school says
'Some' students were expelled for their roles in the vandalism, UConn said earlier this month
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}When the UConn Huskies men's basketball team won their fifth national championship in April, fans and students took to the streets to celebrate, but plenty wound up taking it way too far.
Riots in the title celebration resulted in "about $122,800" worth of damages, school officials said on Tuesday.
The riots consisted mostly of students which CT Insider says set fires, flipped a vehicle on its side and knocked over light poles. One of the poles was also used to break into a building.
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General view of the UConn Huskies logo on a pair of game shorts during the college basketball against Providence Friars on January 4, 2023, at Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, RI. (M. Anthony Nesmith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The school announced earlier this month that "some" students were expelled for vandalizing the campus during the celebration.
"Although we can't address individual students' outcomes, we can say that some reviews have concluded with expulsions," UConn spokesperson Stephanie Reitz said at the time.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Investigations were ongoing for other students arrested following the vandalism at the Storrs campus, Reitz said. At this point, some have already been charged, with more likely to follow.
Reitz is the one who announced the dollar amount of damages up to this point, but she made note that additional costs have yet to be counted, including the cost of labor by employees who made repairs.
UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley reacts after arriving at the rally during the UConn Championship Parade on April 8, 2023, at the XL Center in Hartford, CT. (Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"With those costs included once final invoices are received and paid, the university expects the final cost to be significantly higher than what we were able to reflect in our first round of reporting to auditors," the school said.
As of Tuesday, Reitz said UConn police have charged 22 people in connection with the rioting, 16 of which were students. Fifteen were arrested the night of the championship game, and warrants are out for nine others.
The Huskies beat every opponent in the tournament by double digits, starting with No. 13 Iona in the first round and moving through St. Mary’s and Arkansas and upsetting Gonzaga.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Connecticut head coach Dan Hurley celebrates during the net cutting after the men's national championship college basketball game against San Diego State in the NCAA Tournament on Monday, April 3, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
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UConn, a four seed, took down No. 5 San Diego State University, 76-59, to win the NCAA Tournament, and their average margin of victory in the tournament was 20 points.
Sixteen people were taken to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Associated Press and Fox News' Scott Thompson contributed to this report.