GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Nearly 10,000 Florida fans poured into the street surrounding the university's arena to celebrate the Gators' 73-57 victory over UCLA on Monday night in the NCAA championship game.
More than 5,000 raucous fans wearing orange shirts and waving orange and blue pompoms watched the game on a big-screen television at the O'Connell Center.
After Florida won its first national basketball title, fireworks brightened the sky as fans walked toward bars, drivers honked their horns and revelers hung out of windows.
Roads around the arena were closed off to let the fans walk off their excitement, said Sgt. Keith Kameg, a spokesman for the Gainesville Police Department.
"We have euphoria. People are in great spirits," Kameg said. "So far it's been very excitable, but very controlled."
He said five people were arrested during the game for alcohol violations.
The O'Connell Center crowd was treated to cheerleaders and a band during breaks in the broadcast from the RCA Dome in Indianapolis.
"I'm so proud of the Gators. I will be a Gator fan for the rest of my life," shouted Amanda Wright, 19, a marketing major from Plant City.
Allyssa Thomas, 18, a freshman chemistry major from Hallandale, said she was seeking divine intervention before the game.
"I've been praying for months," Thomas said.
Florida won its first national basketball title in its third appearance in the Final Four. The Gators lost to Duke in the 1994 semifinals and lost to Michigan State in the 2000 final -- also in Indianapolis.
"I've been a Gator fan all my life. My parents went to school here," said Sam Hadley, 26, an accounting major from West Palm Beach. "There is an amazing energy in Florida sports.