With rival Minnesota visiting the Kohl Center this weekend for a highly anticipated hockey match-up, the University of Wisconsin athletic department wants to remind all students to be good sports.

The UW athletic department sent an e-mail overnight Thursday to all men's hockey student season ticket holders asking them to be supportive fans but refrain from being "abusive" to the visiting team or game officials.

A UW athletic department official said a similar e-mail would be sent to all basketball student season ticket holders Monday night in anticipation of Tuesday night's home game against the University of Illinois.

Associate Athletic Department Director Vince Sweeney said the e-mails are in part a response to the UW athletic department having witnessed "a bit" of an increase in unsportsmanlike behavior from the student sections through the course of the season.

"I don't think students will be happy to hear about it," Sweeney said during a phone interview Thursday before the e-mails were sent out. "But, we're just reminding them to be classy, be positive and represent themselves well."

In an e-mail obtained by the Badger Herald, the athletic department thanked students for their "tremendous support" of UW sports teams but asked them to not be "negative or abusive" to opponents or officials during the game.

The athletic department said it had witnessed students directing "verbal abuse and personal attacks" against opponents and officials and reminded them to promote "good sportsmanship."

Student hockey fans had mixed reactions to hearing of the request.

"I think it's bullsh-t," UW junior and men's hockey season ticket holder Zach Kulak said after hearing of the e-mail. "Having rowdy fans is so vital to us winning games. It's like telling us not to root for our team."

Kulak added he had not witnessed any increased student misconduct during the hockey games.

UW junior Harry Stein, another men's hockey season ticket holder, also said he had not seen anything "too unruly" at this year's hockey games.

However, Stein said he "understood" the athletic department's concerns.

"I don't mind getting the reminder," Stein said. "There are families and small kids at the game, so I understand."

Understanding is what Sweeney said he hoped to hear from the students.

"Our student support — there's nothing like it in the country," Sweeney said. "We just hope students will pay attention to [sportsmanship] themselves."