They were loud, boisterous, raucous. And when the Brock Badgers won their first-ever men’s basketball national championship in 1991-92, it was the Bucketheads who pushed them on and garnered national attention.

To honour the 25th anniversary of that memorable national title, the Badgers will host a Retro Night this Friday, Feb. 10, during the final home games of the regular season for the men’s and women’s teams at Brock’s Bob Davis Gym.

Highlighting the flashback will be the re-introduction of the Bucketheads, a phenomenon launched by passionate student fans during the Badgers’ playoff run that year. The group grew to more than 300, and were soon joined by faculty, staff, community members and even then-University President Terry White.

Their tools of the trade were white plastic buckets. Some they drummed on during games — loudly. But most of the buckets, as the name suggests, became the group’s distinctive headgear. If their energy was infectious, their noise level was deafening. Fans and the media described home games that year as an electric atmosphere where Bob Davis Gymnasium was packed to capacity, or perhaps a little beyond.

When the Badgers travelled to Halifax that spring to play in the national championship, a throng of Bucketheads followed them, all the way to the title.

Their legacy lives on. The Badgers’ modern-day supporters call themselves the Best Fans in Canada, and are not shy about making their presence heard at home games and on the road. In 2017, Brock fans will be there to push on the basketball teams as they work their way into the playoffs.

The next generation of Bucketheads, wearing replica buckets, will be in the stands Friday night as the Badgers women’s and men’s basketball teams host the Algoma Thunderbirds at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., respectively. Tickets are available at the Walker Sports Complex welcome desk.