UConn students expelled for vandalism after Huskies' NCAA championship win

Some University of Connecticut students are being expelled for vandalizing their campus following their basketball team’s April 3 victory in the NCAA men's championship game, a university spokesperson said Friday.

"Although we can’t address individual students’ outcomes, we can say that some reviews have concluded with expulsions," UConn spokesperson Stephanie Reitz said. She said the investigations are ongoing for other students who were arrested following the vandalism at the Storrs campus, which included smashing windows and damaging a police vehicle.

The Huskies’ 76-59 win over San Diego State in the championship game in Houston secured UConn’s fifth NCAA title in 24 years. Most of the celebrations that followed in Storrs were peaceful, but some students pulled down signs and light poles and smashed windows.

The vandalism, which included damaging a campus police cruiser and flipping a van on its side, caused thousands of dollars worth of damage, university officials said.

More than a dozen students were arrested on charges that in some cases included rioting. Sixteen people were taken to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries.

Reitz said information on the precise number of students who have been expelled for their role in the destruction should be available later in the summer.

Students can appeal their expulsions, Reitz said, but for some the appeal process is complete, and they are no longer enrolled.

The news that some UConn students have been expelled over the post-championship vandalism was first reported in the Hartford Courant.

Reporting by The Associated Press.