Two weeks of hype leading up to the Super Bowl, which this year includes talk of revenge for the New England Patriots against the New York Giants team that kept them from an undefeated season four years ago, helps to fuel interest in the championship game.

But public safety and University of Massachusetts officials are keeping their fingers crossed that it doesn't also arouse passions that could cause out-of-control celebrations.

"We're hoping the Patriots win and that people celebrate in a nonviolent, nondestructive way," said Amherst Police Capt. Chris Pronovost.

A plan, including beefed up patrols and increased campus lighting, is being put together this week to ensure that students can enjoy the game trouble free.

UMass spokesman Ed Blaguszewski past experience shows the large majority of students behave appropriately following most big games.

"The thing we want to emphasize here is we've had very few problems in recent years with sporting events," Blaguszewski said. "Students have been well behaved. We're encouraging people to maintain that good record."

Track record

Pronovost and Capt. Jennifer Gundersen reviewed data from each Super Bowl night over the last decade, which includes the first Super Bowl victory for the Patriots in 2002. While they noted an increase from the typical police activity for a Sunday night, there were usually fewer problems off campus than on most weekend nights.

Seeing the Patriots in the Super Bowl four times in recent years has given the police department confidence that things will go smoothly, said Amherst Police Chief Scott Livingstone.

"We'll be in good shape," he said. "Typically we've not had a big spike in calls and arrests."

In 2004 after the Super Bowl, police found a large crowd at the corner of North Pleasant Street and Hobart Lane setting off fireworks, screaming and creating a bonfire with a Christmas tree. Two additional large bonfires were made at Townehouse Apartments on Meadow Street.

But none of the postgame activity, including in 2008 when the Patriots lost to the Giants, has risen to the level of the on-campus riots that took place Dec. 15, 2006, the night of the Minutemen's 28-17 loss to Appalachian State in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision title game. An estimated 1,800 to 2,000 people rioted in the Southwest residential area, resulting in more than $100,000 in damage to university property.

Game plan

Still, police are increasing patrols, especially on Hobart Lane and Meadow Street.

"We have hired additional officers to work and will have our midnight shift in early," Pronovost said.

Livingstone said staffing will be short of what is used on some fall and spring nights when weather is warmer.

"We'll be staffing extra, but not to the degree of Hobart Hoedown weekend," Livingstone said. "Our concern will be not to have any large parties or major gatherings."

In fact, he expects that if problems do occur they could be confined to the Southwest portion of the campus.

UMass Deputy Police Chief Patrick Archbald said he has been meeting with all departments on campus and he will have many officers on call.

"We talk about operations readiness for all departments to make sure we do everything we can to make it a safe event," Archabld said. "We're optimistic the students will be responsible and mature."

Blaguszewski said lights will be used to illuminate the Southwest area and an outdoor warning system will send messages if dispersals are needed. This system was first used last May when more than 2,000 students gathered in Southwest to celebrate the death of Osama bin Laden.

The Amherst Fire Department and its ambulances are also part of the planning, said Fire Chief Tim Nelson.

"We're not anticipating anything going nuts or going crazy, but we want to be ready if the call volume does increase," Nelson said.

Nelson said that the department's resources are stretched most weekends, so additional staffing is a priority for keeping people safe.

"If it turns out to be a busy night, it wouldn't take much more activity to push us over the edge," he said. "We need to have an operational plan in place."

Nelson said that during the game itself, which begins around 6:30 p.m. and will likely go until 10 p.m., there should be few problems. "Most folks will be in to watch the game," Nelson said. "Our concern is afterward."

Livingstone said though he expects downtown bars to be crowded, he does not anticipate trouble.

Blaguszewski said there will be no central place on campus to watch the Super Bowl. He expects most students to watch in their rooms. Dining halls with large-screen televisions will also have the game on.

Unknown factors

Weather and the game's outcome are likely to affect the activity level, safety officials say.

For instance this past weekend, the first with college students back from semester break, was mild. Ambulances transported 11 intoxicated individuals to Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton, including eight from the UMass campus.

These transports also included off-campus incidents in which a man who suffered a cut to his forehead after falling outside a downtown bar and a woman who fell face-first to the ground and chipped one of her front teeth.

UMass began planning for possible student behavior problems as the National Football League playoffs began, sending an email to students and their parents about safe celebrations from Jean Kim, vice chancellor of student affairs and campus life.

"We hope that all students will approach the upcoming games with safety in mind and in a manner that reflects positively upon the University of Massachusetts Amherst," Kim wrote.

The email provided links to the university's responsible fan behavior rules and municipal bylaws.

"It's a set of resources we've drawn on and revised and shared with people over a number of years," Blaguszewski said.

Archbald said police assisted in putting up posters in residence halls and table tents on dining room tables about the Super Bowl.

"We just hope everyone will enjoy the game and celebrate responsibly afterward, win or lose."