UConn removes campus light poles ahead of Final Four a year after violent student celebrations caused $550K in damages when the Huskies won the men's NCAA title... and now the school has TWO teams in the semifinals!

The University of Connecticut campus erupted into chaos after its men's basketball team won the 2023 NCAA Tournament, so to prevent any further madness ahead of this year's Final Four, the school is removing a number of aluminum light poles.

As explained by UConn spokesperson Stephanie Reitz, the lights are being temporarily removed from the Storrs, Connecticut campus's main pathway. They will be replaced with ground lights that can 'provide the same amount of illumination without being vulnerable to being removed and misused,' Reitz told The Boston Globe.

The school suffered more than $550,000 in damages after its 2023 title celebration turned ugly, with students removing one light pole and driving it through a window before flipping a vehicle.

This year, the potential for damage is even greater due to the fact that both the UConn men and women have advanced to the Final Four of their respective tournaments, meaning the Huskies could be celebrating two titles early next week.

The top-seeded UConn men will square off upstart Alabama in Saturday's semifinal, while the Huskies women are facing off with Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes in Friday's late game.

The University of Connecticut is removing aluminum light poles from its main campus pathway

In 2023, students used a fallen lamppost as a battering ram to break into a campus building 

UConn fans climbed lampposts and pulled them down on campus after the team's 2023 win

The light poles will ultimately be reinstalled, Reitz told the Globe.

There were nearly 40 arrests on campus after the Huskies beat San Diego State in the 2023 championship game, including 25 students and four alumni. Furthermore, 16 people were injured, although none seriously.

'It's important to emphasize that the vast majority of our students celebrated last year's championship in a responsible, appropriate manner,' Reitz told the Globe.

'It's unfortunate that a small fraction of people in the crowds chose to be disruptive, but their behavior should reflect only on them, not on our full student body or other Husky fans.'

Students will have access to a number of on-campus viewing parties, although there will not be any alcohol permitted.

'… the public's safety and well-being is the priority in each step being discussed,' Reitz told the Globe.