photo by: Mike Yoder/Journal-World

The intersection of Eighth and Massachusetts streets was the main gathering spot for Jayhawk fans celebrating the Kansas's win over the Miami Hurricanes on Sunday. KU advances to the Final Four on Saturday, April 2, 2022, in New Orleans.

For about an hour and a half late Sunday afternoon, Massachusetts Street in downtown Lawrence was near impossible to pass through in any kind of vehicle.

A mass of University of Kansas basketball fans swarmed into the street in the moments after the Jayhawks beat the University of Miami to clinch a berth in their first Final Four appearance since 2018.

As KU fans made their way up the street to join the celebrations, they joined in chants of “Rock Chalk Jayhawk” and “We want ‘Nova,” referencing KU’s upcoming Final Four opponent, Villanova University. They’ll face off Saturday at 5 p.m. As luck would have it, that’s the same opponent KU faced in this round of the 2018 NCAA tournament.

photo by: Mike Yoder/Journal-World

Kansas fans come out of the bars and restaurants to fill up Massachusetts Street and celebrate a Jayhawk win Sunday against the Miami Hurricanes to advance to the Final Four on Saturday, April 2, in New Orleans.

The densest part of the crowd congregated at the intersection of 8th and Massachusetts streets. That’s where the rowdiest of the festivities took place. Fans lofted their celebrating friends on their shoulders and blasted songs like “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond and “(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party)” by the Beastie Boys on large speakers. At one point, the crowd cheered as a dog in a KU jersey popped up in the window of an apartment above Delaney & Loew Kichenalia.

photo by: Mike Yoder/Journal-World

Two dogs dressed in crimson and blue and their owner watch a large crowd of celebrating Jayhawk fans from a second floor window above Mass. St. Sunday after the Jayhawks win over the Miami Hurricanes to advance to the Final Four Sat. April 2, in New Orleans.

There was a heavy law enforcement presence throughout, with Lawrence police and Douglas County sheriff’s deputies taking up posts at every street corner. Some stuck to the intersections, where they helped drivers make their way off of the packed street. They also erected barricades at nearly every side street feeding into Massachusetts to discourage any traffic from entering downtown Lawrence.

By 5 p.m., officers had dispersed the crowd at the intersection of Eighth and Massachusetts streets, and fans took their celebrations to the sidewalks. One group of fans passing by on the way out of downtown talked about how nervous they had been after the first half the game, when the Jayhawks entered the break trailing by six points. The mood shifted in the second half as a dominant KU side ran away with the game.

Others were already making plans for another celebration next weekend.

“Are we going to be back here in a week?” one fan asked their friend as they walked by.

“Knock on wood,” the friend replied.

They weren’t the only fans relying on a little luck for the Jayhawks’ continued success.

Thomas Batliner, a 2020 KU graduate from Overland Park, was holding down a stool at The Burger Stand at the Casbah during the second half.

“This is where I watched the (Elite Eight) game in 2018,” he said. “It’s a lucky spot for me. I’ll be back next week.”

— Journal-World writer Elvyn Jones contributed to this report.

photo by: Austin Hornbostel/Journal-World

University of Kansas basketball fans rush out onto Massachusetts Street to celebrate the Jayhawks clinching their first Final Four berth since 2018. The crowd shut down the street to traffic for around an hour and a half late Sunday afternoon.

photo by: Mike Yoder/Journal-World

The intersection of 8th and Mass. St., was the main gathering spot for Jayhawk fans celebrating the Jayhawks win over the Miami Hurricanes Sunday. Kansas advances to the Final Four Sat. April 2, in New Orleans.

photo by: Mike Yoder/Journal-World

Kansas fans were filling Mass. St. and were celebrating shoulder to shoulder after Sunday’s Jayhawks win over the Miami Hurricanes to advance to the Final Four Sat. April 2, in New Orleans.

photo by: Mike Yoder/Journal-World

Kansas fans were filling Mass. St. and were celebrating shoulder to shoulder after Sunday’s Jayhawks win over the Miami Hurricanes to advance to the Final Four Sat. April 2, in New Orleans.

photo by: Mike Yoder/Journal-World

Kansas fans come out of the bars and restaurants to fill up Mass. St. and celebrate a Jayhawk win Sunday against the Miami Hurricanes to advance to the Final Four Sat. April 2, in New Orleans.

photo by: Mike Yoder/Journal-World

Kansas fans come out of the bars and restaurants to fill up Mass. St. and celebrate a Jayhawk win Sunday against the Miami Hurricanes to advance to the Final Four Sat. April 2, in New Orleans.

photo by: Mike Yoder/Journal-World

Kansas fans come out of the bars and restaurants to fill up Mass. St. and celebrate a Jayhawk win Sunday against the Miami Hurricanes to advance to the Final Four Sat. April 2, in New Orleans.

photo by: Mike Yoder/Journal-World

Kansas fans come out of the bars and restaurants to fill up Mass. St. and celebrate a Jayhawk win Sunday against the Miami Hurricanes to advance to the Final Four Sat. April 2, in New Orleans.

photo by: Mike Yoder/Journal-World

Kansas fans come out of the bars and restaurants to fill up Mass. St. and celebrate a Jayhawk win Sunday against the Miami Hurricanes to advance to the Final Four Sat. April 2, in New Orleans.

photo by: Mike Yoder/Journal-World

Kansas fans come out of the bars and restaurants to fill up Mass. St. and celebrate a Jayhawk win Sunday against the Miami Hurricanes to advance to the Final Four Sat. April 2, in New Orleans.

photo by: Austin Hornbostel/Journal-World photo

Fans crammed Massachusetts Street on Sunday, March 27, 2022 after KU’s victory over Miami gave the Jayhawks a birth in the Final Four for the 16th time in program history.

photo by: Mike Yoder/Journal-World

All eyes were on the televisions inside Jefferson’s Restaurant, 734 Mass. St., as patrons celebrate a Jayhawk win Sunday against the Miami Hurricanes to advance to the Final Four Sat. April 2, in New Orleans.

photo by: Mike Yoder/Journal-World

Patrons at the Red Lyon Inn, 944 Mass. St., watch the final minutes of the Jayhawks win over the Miami Hurricanes to advance to the Final Four Sat. April 2, in New Orleans.