CHAMPAIGN – Early last March 2, toting empty beer kegs out the back door, Kyle Long and a buddy encountered some surprise guests: two men in blue, or in this case, the tan and green of the Champaign Police Department.

Both University of Illinois students were over 21 and had no underage drinkers in their all-senior house. But the law says you can have only one keg at a time during "Unofficial St. Patrick's Day," and well, rules are rules.

They were cited for a keg violation and ended up paying two $290 fines – which they split with their seven housemates. They didn't bother contesting the tickets, as they had three full kegs inside the house and were admittedly caught red-handed. (The empties were from their last house party.)

"There was no way around it," said Long, 23, now a fifth-year business major. He knew the rules, but "obviously, we didn't think we'd get busted. It just so happened there were two cops watching the alley."

As throngs of students get ready to party Friday at "Unofficial," a few veterans will keep a wary eye out for police. Others say they have no plans to return after being arrested last year.

Champaign police ticketed 176 people at last year's "Unofficial" celebration, up 71 percent from 103 the year before. Urbana police handed out four tickets, all of which were paid.

Of Champaign's total, 149 were alcohol violations. Nearly 80 percent of those were for underage drinking.

Almost all the tickets were paid, in person or by mail, without the offender going to court. According to court records, only five tickets issued March 2 and during the wee hours of March 3 remain unpaid, aside from several that were dismissed.

All told, violators shelled out about $44,000 in fines, an analysis of city records shows. Most alcohol fines were $290 each, though some cost $145 (fines have risen by $10 since then). And some students ended up paying more – about $430 – to cover court costs if they failed to pay their fines on time.

Violators have 21 days to pay and are given an automatic court date if they don't meet that deadline. Those who pay just a few days late can escape court costs if the city hasn't filed papers yet.

Last year, eight people actually went to court, pleaded guilty and then paid their fines, city records show. A few facing multiple charges had one count dismissed. None of those ticketed requested a trial.

Those who wound up in court typically couldn't afford to pay, or just "couldn't get it together" to pay on time, said Assistant City Attorney Laura Hall.

In some cases, the students are from other areas and think the ticket just "goes away," said Deanna Buss, who processes the violations for the city.

They may not understand the law or don't expect officers to pursue charges, she said.

The overwhelming majority of alcohol violations year-round are paid, Hall said.

There are hefty incentives to do so.

Besides higher fines, those convicted in court face the prospect of losing their driver's license for a year. As of Jan. 1, judges can now place first-time offenders on three months of court supervision instead, Hall said.

According to police records, 47 of the people arrested last year – less than a third – were from the UI. Students flocked to "Unofficial" from the Chicago suburbs, other Illinois colleges and as far away as Texas and Michigan.

The number of out-of- towners is growing each year as word-of-mouth spreads about the party, Champaign Police Lt. Brad Yohnka said.

University of Illinois junior Peter Logli, president of the Interfraternity Council, thinks visiting partiers are at the root of the problems with "Unofficial."

"They don't care about people's property as much as people who live around here," agreed Long, who also said younger students tend to be more reckless.

Long and Logli's fraternity house, Delta Chi, is not allowed to have out-of-town guests on "Unofficial" weekend, partly to protect it from liability – say someone gets drunk and falls down the steps or, worse, hurts someone else.

"If they drink under your roof, you're liable for that," Logli said.

The university and the fraternity and sorority governing boards have taken other preventive steps. Chapters aren't allowed to hold social events in their houses on "Unofficial" weekend, and the IFC does both a morning and afternoon check of each fraternity house that day, Logli said.

Last year, while some individual members may have been ticketed, no houses were found to have violated those rules, according to Ashley Dye, assistant dean of students.

Dye's office sent memos to chapter houses this year outlining expectations for fraternities and sororities during the upcoming weekend and warning their actions will be "closely monitored" by police.

Chapter presidents also met in recent days with UI and Champaign police to hear firsthand about the risks of "Unofficial," and how to avoid trouble.

Their advice? Among other things, don't walk around with open beer containers and don't give police a hard time if they approach you.

"While we don't condone our members participating, we're also not naive enough to think they won't," Logli said. "We encourage them if they are going to participate, do so responsibly and take care of each other. All we can do is foster an environment that keeps everybody safe."

Whether arrests rise again this year depends in part on the weather, Yohnka said. Cold temperatures during last year's "Unofficial", combined with a more visible police presence, led to fewer problems outdoors – like "people walking down the street hitting people," he said.

Long plans to enjoy "Unofficial" but advises his fellow students to take the rules seriously.

"We tell everyone in our house not to be stupid," he said.