{"id":54851,"date":"2017-03-09T15:25:31","date_gmt":"2017-03-09T21:25:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/?p=54851"},"modified":"2017-03-09T15:25:31","modified_gmt":"2017-03-09T21:25:31","slug":"wildcat-fans-go-out-in-crazy-costumes-to-end-the-last-game-in-arena","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wildcat-fans-go-out-in-crazy-costumes-to-end-the-last-game-in-arena\/","title":{"rendered":"Wildcat fans go out in crazy costumes to end the last game in arena"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Alexis Wainwright <\/strong><\/p>\n

Students and fans said goodbye to one of the homes for Northwestern University\u2019s sports on Sunday as Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston hosted its last game and long-planned renovations will soon begin.<\/p>\n

Part of the farewell: crazy costumes for the regular basketball season home finale.<\/p>\n

Two fans stole the show with their onesies. \u201cWe\u2019re two goofy guys just trying to have fun at the game,\u201d said Matt Zients, a first-year\u00a0student at Northwestern. Zients had never worn a costume to a basketball game until that final game. (See photo below).<\/p>\n

Students typically wear face paint, school colors and anything with the words \u201cWildcats\u201d or \u201cNorthwestern\u201d on it, but for this weekend there was cause for more creativity.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is to celebrate the last game here at Welsh-Ryan, our last game of this historic season,\u201d said freshman Jeremy Lamstein, seen below with Zients. \u201cWe figured we go all out, have some fun with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Crazy
Two first-year students share a crazy costume idea for their final game of the season. From left to right: Matt Zients and Jeremey Lamstein.(Alexis Wainwright\/ MEDILL).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The bright colors stood out in the arena, packed with 8,100 fans, many wearing purple or gold.<\/p>\n

Senior Drew Floyd knew exactly what he had to do for his last game. Floyd and his group of friends showed up in four different colorful, animal onesies. Each outfit had a tail and a hood to wear on their head, complete with ears, and decorative faces. (See picture below)<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a do or die. It\u2019s a now or never, if we were going to do it this had to be the game to do it,\u201d said Floyd.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had the onesies and we decided pretty early in the year that we would all wear them together to a game,\u201d said Floyd. \u201cThis is the first game we were going to all come together. It\u2019s been in the works for awhile but it\u2019s finally executed tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Crazy
Friends gathered together for a picture during their final game at Welsh-Ryan Arena as students. From left to right: Eric Williams, Drew Floyd, Faye Zhang, and Sarah Garlick. (Alexis Wainwright\/ MEDILL)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The $110 million arena renovation will start soon and is expected to be finished in Fall 2018. Games\u00a0next season at Allstate Arena in Rosemont.<\/p>\n

Renovations include:<\/p>\n