Looking for a local bar to cheer for your alma mater? This guide will help you zero in on where to stake out some space on college basketball gamedays.
Bar owners and alumni groups: Don't see your bar included here? We'll be adding to this guide throughout the season. Send your affiliation and specials to RedEye nightlife and events reporter Kate Bernot for consideration. RedEye's college sports bar guide includes official partnerships with alumni associations in addition to bars owned by alumni and unofficial affiliations declared by bar management.
Arizona | Arkansas | Boston College | California | Clemson | Creighton | Duke | Florida | Georgetown | Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Iowa State | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana State University | Marquette | Michigan | Michigan State | Minnesota | Missouri | North Carolina | Northwestern | Notre Dame | Ohio State | Penn State | Purdue | St. Louis University | Syracuse | Texas | Virginia | Virginia Tech | Washington | Wisconsin | Xavier
ARKANSAS
Wheel House in Lakeview: $3.50 Coors Light and Bud Light pints, $5 bombs and Jack Daniel's cocktails
BOSTON COLLEGE
Nick and Dimo's Tripoli Tap in Lincoln Park
CLEMSON UNIVERSITY
Vines on Clark in Wrigleyville: $5 Bacardi cocktails and domestic stadium drafts
CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY
Jaks Tap on the Near West Side
DUKE UNIVERSITY
Sedgwick’s Bar & Grill: $4.50 Blue Moon drafts, $18 domestic buckets, $5 Tiger bombs (Skyy blood orange, OJ and Red Bull) and Nova bombs (Absolut berry-acai vodka, blue curacao and Red Bull)
FLORIDA
Sully's House in Old Town
GEORGETOWN
Theory in River North: $20 Corona and Corona light buckets, $5 22-ounce Bud Light drafts
ILLINOIS
Bird’s Nest in Lincoln Park
Durkin’s Tavern in Lincoln Park
Flagship in Lakeview: $15 domestic buckets
Joe's Bar in Old Town
Rebel Bar & Grill in Wrigleyville: $6 32-ounce Bud Light stadium mugs, $12 60-ounce Illini fishbowls (Three Olives whipped cream vodka and orange soda), $4 Oskee Wow Wow bombs (Cruzan orange rum and Monster energy drink)
Schoolyard Tavern & Grill in Lakeview: $5 22-ounce Coors Light and Miller Lite stadium cups, $5 mac 'n' cheese rolls, $5 monster tots (tater tots with cheese and bacon)
>>BACK TO TOP
INDIANA
Flagship in Lakeview
Finley Dunne's in Roscoe Village: $12 domestic pitchers, $15 32-ounce Tucson Trashcans (vodka, rum, gin, triple sec and Red Bull), $10 32-ounce AMF (vodka, rum, gin, triple sec, sour mix, Sprite and blue curacao)
Joe's Bar in Old Town: $5 AMF cocktails (vodka, gin, blue curacao, soda) and tie-dye Long Islands (Long Island iced tea with blue curacao and melon), $4 Hoosier bombs (cherry vodka and energy drink
Kirkwood in Lincoln Park
Rockwood Place in Lakeview: $5 Bud Light 22-ounce mugs, $6 flatbreads
Sluggers in Lakeview
Wheel House in Lakeview: $3.50 Coors Light and Bud Light pints, $5 bombs and Jack Daniel's cocktails
>>BACK TO TOP
IOWA
Clover Sports & Leisure in West Town: $15 domestic buckets, $5 UV bombs
Four Shadows in Lincoln Park: $8 Miller Lite and Coors Light pitchers, $5 bombs, $15 domestic buckets
Frontier in West Town: $8 Miller and Coors Light pitchers, $4 Miller and Coors Light stadium cups, $5 Golden Eagle bombs (UV vodka and Red Bull), $5 Hawkeye bombs (Tuaca vanilla-citrus liqueur and Red Bull)
John Barleycorn Wrigleyville
Merkle's Bar & Grill in Wrigleyville: $4 22-ounce domestic drafts, $4 Jameson shots, $5 bombs
Prost in Lincoln Park
Ravens in Lincoln Park
Theory in River North: $20 Corona and Corona light buckets, $5 22-ounce Bud Light drafts
>>BACK TO TOP
IOWA STATE
Corcoran's in Old Town
Fizz Bar & Grill in Lakeview: $3 16-ounce Miller Lite, Bud and Bud Light cans
>>BACK TO TOP
KANSAS
Crossing in Lincoln Park: $5 Miller, Coors Light or Boulevard wheat stadium cups, $7 schooners, $4 Crimson bombs (strawberry-infused vodka and Red Bull), $5 Mass St. Minis (mini-burgers with cheddar cheese, named for a street in Kansas), $5 Nate Smith nachos
Kincade's in Lincoln Park
Lotties Pub in Bucktown
Toons in Lakeview
>>BACK TO TOP
KENTUCKY
The Pony in Lakeview: $10 domestic pitchers, $4 domestic stadium cups, $5 Buffalo Trace cocktails, $8 cheese pizzas, $4 John Wall shots (Citron vodka and Blue Powerade)
LSU
The Dark Horse in Wrigleyville
Standard in Wicker Park: $15 Miller Lite and Bud Light buckets
>>BACK TO TOP
MARQUETTE
Cortland's Garage in Bucktown
Four Shadows in Lincoln Park: $8 Miller Lite and Coors Light pitchers, $5 bombs, $15 domestic buckets
Frontier in West Town: $8 Miller and Coors Light pitchers, $4 Miller and Coors Light stadium cups, $5 Golden Eagle bombs (UV vodka and Red Bull), $5 Hawkeye bombs (Tuaca vanilla-citrus liqueur and Red Bull)
Hidden Shamrock in Lincoln Park
Schoolyard Tavern & Grill in Lakeview: $5 22-ounce Coors Light and Miller Lite stadium cups, $5 mac 'n' cheese rolls, $5 monster tots (tater tots with cheese and bacon)
Will’s Northwoods Inn: $7 32-ounce Miller Lite and Leinenkugel cups, $5 refills
>>BACK TO TOP
MICHIGAN
Diag Bar & Grill in Lakeview: $4 22-ounce Bud Light stadium cups, $5 bombs, $5 game day menu (chicken wings, quesadilla, pretzel bites)
Duffy’s in Lincoln Park: $8 32-ounce Bud Light mugs, $3 draft beers from Michigan
Matilda in Lakeview
Moe’s Cantina River North
Moe’s Cantina Wrigleyville
Newport Bar & Grill in Lakeview
Rockit Bar & Grill in River North: $5 bloody marys, mimosas, Maker’s Mark and margaritas; $15 Bud and Bud Light buckets; $20 Heineken buckets, $6 truffle tater tots, $8 jalapeno poppers, $9 chili mac, $10 loaded fries, $7 beer and cheese dip
Rockit Burger Bar in Wrigleyville: Same as River North location
>>BACK TO TOP
MICHIGAN STATE
Gamekeepers Tavern & Grill in Lincoln Park: $9 Bud Light pitchers
Grand River in Lakeview: $4 22-ounce Miller Lite stadium cups, $12 Miller Lite pitchers
Higgins' Tavern in Lakeview
John Barleycorn in Lincoln Park
McFadden's in the Gold Coast
Michael Diversey’s in Lincoln Park
Moonshine in Wicker Park: $3.50 Coors Light 22-ounce stadium cups, half-price wings
The Tin Lizzie in Lincoln Park: $10 Miller Lite and Coors Light 32-ounce mugs with $8 refills
Wicker Park Tavern in Wicker Park: $7 32-ounce Bud Light souvenir mugs with $5 refills, $15 Bud Light buckets, $6 wings
>>BACK TO TOP
MINNESOTA
Red Ivy in Wrigleyville
>>BACK TO TOP
MISSOURI
Derby in Lincoln Park: $4 Bud and Bud Light stadium cups, $5 Goose Island Green Line and 312 stadium cups, $5 Mizzou bombs (amaretto and grenadine)
Sedgwick’s Bar & Grill: $4.50 Blue Moon drafts, $18 domestic buckets, $5 Tiger bombs (Skyy blood orange, OJ and Red Bull) and Nova bombs (Absolut Berry Acai, blue curacao and Red Bull)
>>BACK TO TOP
NORTHWESTERN
Kendall’s in Lincoln Park
Timothy O'Toole's in Streeterville: $10 Miller Lite pitchers for fans in NU gear
Trader Todd’s in Lincoln Park
Yak-Zie's in Lincoln Park
>>BACK TO TOP
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA
Gamekeepers Tavern & Grill in Lincoln Park: $6 32-ounce Bud Light souvenir cups
>>BACK TO TOP
NOTRE DAME
Citizen: $4 Deschutes Brewery Red Chair drafts, flip a coin table-side for half-price appetizers
Halligan Bar in Lincoln Park
The Irish Oak in Wrigleyville: $4 16-ounce Sam Adams drafts, $7 22-ounce Sam Adams, $5 Jameson, $5 Fireball, $3 New Belgium Fat Tire drafts
O'Malley's Liquor Kitchen in Wrigleyville
Racine Plumbing Bar & Grill in Lincoln Park
Wrightwood Tap in Lincoln Park
>>BACK TO TOP
OHIO STATE
O'Donovan's in Lakeview
McGee’s in Lincoln Park
>>BACK TO TOP
PENN STATE
A.J. Hudson's Public House in Lakeview: $4 Goose Island Green Line and Carlsberg draft pints, $5 appetizers
PURDUE
Division Ale House in Wicker Park: $15 domestic buckets, $5 bomb shots
Fireplace Inn in Old Town: $15.95 a la carte baby back ribs, $4 22-ounce Bud Light drafts, $5 Skyy bombs
Red Ivy in Lakeview: $35 Gold Package: All-you-can-drink drafts, well and call rinks, bloody marys and mimosas during the game's duration; $25 Black Package: All-you-can-drink domestic beers and well drinks
The Smoke Daddy in Wicker Park
Waterhouse in Lakeview: $15 60-ounce Green Dragons (melon liqueur and champagne) and Baltimore Zoos (Long Island with the tequila and Coke replaced with peach schnapps and grenadine), $5 bombs. $5 22-ounce Purdue Miller Lite mugs, $6 bacon cheese fries.
>>BACK TO TOP
ST. LOUIS UNIVERSITY
Halsted Harp in Lincoln Park
SYRACUSE
The Beer Bistro North in Lincoln Park
Gamekeepers Tavern & Grill in Lincoln Park: $9 Bud Light pitchers
>>BACK TO TOP
Stanley's Kitchen & Tap in Lincoln Park: $3 Bud Light pints, $5 Tito's vodka cocktails
TEXAS TECH
Kelsey's in Lincoln Park
UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
Finley Dunne's in Roscoe Village: $12 domestic pitchers, $15 32-ounce Tucson Trashcans (vodka, rum, gin, triple sec and Red Bull), $10 32-ounce AMF (vodka, rum, gin, triple sec, sour mix, Sprite and blue curacao)
>>BACK TO TOP
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
Nisei Lounge in Wrigleyville
UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE
Finley Dunne's in Roscoe Village: $12 domestic pitchers, $15 32-ounce Tucson Trashcans (vodka, rum, gin, triple sec and Red Bull), $10 32-ounce AMF (vodka, rum, gin, triple sec, sour mix, Sprite and blue curacao)
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
Hidden Shamrock in Lincoln Park:
VIRGINIA TECH
Crossroads Public House in Lakeview: $5 Fireball shots, $15 Coors Light buckets, $20 table toppers, $10 Long Island pitchers
>>BACK TO TOP
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
Gamekeepers Tavern & Grill in Lincoln Park: $16 Bud and Bud Light buckets
WISCONSIN
Fatpour in Wicker Park
Kroll’s South Loop: $3 Miller Lite drafts
Lotties Pub in Bucktown
Redmond’s in Wrigleyville: $7 32-ounce Bud Light mugs, $5 refills
Stout Barrel House & Galley in River North
Sully's House in Old Town
Will’s Northwoods Inn: $7 32-ounce Miller Lite and Leinenkugel cups, $5 refills
XAVIER
Merkle's Bar & Grill in Wrigleyville: $4 22-ounce domestic drafts, $4 Jameson shots, $5 bombs
>>BACK TO TOP
Reporting by RedEye special contributor Samantha Nelson.
Bar owners and alumni groups: Don't see your bar included here? We'll be adding to this guide throughout the season. Contact RedEye nightlife reporter Kate Bernot for consideration.
