DETROIT — They came for many reasons. They came from many places. But the important thing is that they came.

Northwestern had an estimated 12,000 fans at the Motor City Bowl this year, creating a solid cheering section of purple-and-white at the sparkling new Ford Field.

A majority of the fans found wearing NU apparel were alumni, excited for the opportunity to see their Wildcats take the field for a rare bowl game.

“It’s Northwestern’ s fifth bowl game ever. How can we miss it?” said Dave Hannon, McCormick ’02.

A number of former NU students came in groups. Jim Brown, McCormick ’77, came with a group of NU track team alumni from the Chicago area. The group made the journey a weekend vacation for their families. Brown said it was more fun traveling in a big group, especially hanging out with former athletes.

Recent graduates weren’t hard to find at the game either.

Jeffery Treem, Communication ’03, came with a group of former classmates. “We made a pledge that we’d go to all the Bowl games,” he said. “We’re 100 percent supporters.”

Although most Cats fans were older, current students came to cheer on their team as well.

“I’m very surprised by the number of students here,” said Debbie Kim, a Weinberg freshman who drove in from Chicago.

Kim’s friend Michelle Menaker, a Medill freshman, said her family was making fun of her. “My mom said my friends and I would be the only Northwestern fans here.”

Of course, some Cats fans at the game had never set foot inside the NU arch.

“My football coach got free tickets. I wanted to see Ford Field,” said Brandon Favre, a high school student from Adrian, Mich., who chose to root for NU over Bowling Green because it’s in the Big Ten.

A majority of NU’s fans came from either the Detroit or Chicago areas. But others made a longer journey to support their team.

“I flew into Chicago from L.A. and got to bed at midnight. Then I woke up at 4 am to take the train in from Chicago,” Treem said.

Many out-of-state fans were visiting Detroit for the first time. Popular plans for those staying overnight in the area included testing the nightlife, visiting the city’ s recently built casinos, or crossing the Ambassador Bridge to visit Canada.

Opinions of the city varied greatly. Some, like alumnus Ben Elrod, were impressed. “They’ ve done a lot to downtown Detroit,” he said. Others, however, weren’t too enthusiastic about the Motor City, which is in the process of revitalizing its downtown.

NU fans’ attitudes toward the game itself, on the other hand, were for the most part consistent: enthusiastic and optimistic.

“What do we expect?” said Weinberg senior Brian Retson. “We expect victory.”

Some were even more confident in the game’s outcome. “We’re here to see Northwestern’s second bowl win ever,”said Al Janolis, an alumnus from the Chicago area.

And the fans showed their support throughout the game. They arrived wearing everything from wigs and face paint to spirit wear straight from the Norris Book Store to bright purple Santa hats. They roared on the big plays beginning with Heinz’s interception on Bowling Green’s first drive through to Herron’s huge touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Even after a devastating loss, the fans stayed to support their Cats. Many fans remained at their seats to applaud running back Jason Wright and defensive lineman Luis Castillo as they received MVP honors.

“A lot of them stuck around to send off the graduating seniors, kind of as a thank you,” said Medill freshman Guy Benson.

And the players appreciated the fans’ loyalty, especially Wright. “We had a great turnout today. The supporters, they really back us at these bowl games. I think we did a decent job for them today. I hope we didn’t send them home too disappointed.”

Unfortunately, after such a close loss, disappointment was the best word to explain the fans’ feelings as they left the stadium. But others remained optimistic.

“I was happy that we played well and we stuck with a team that ended up ranked,” Weinberg junior Kevin Rak said. “Ultimately, Northwestern did what it always does, and it couldn’ t pull it out in the end. But I’ ll still be going to all the games next year.”

CREDIT/PAPER

About 12,000 Northwestern fans made the trek to Detroit to cheer on the Wildcats in the Motor City Bowl at Ford Field. Many of them were alums.