As this weekend's Final Four basketball games draw near, MSU and East Lansing officials want to get one message across - celebrate responsibly. And if one or both MSU basketball teams lose in their run to the NCAA championship - lament responsibly.

MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon said the reputation of the university could be tarnished if post-game action gets out of control.

"The work of people throughout the year to make Michigan State a much better place ... all of that gets wiped out in a moment," Simon said. "This is a great occasion for Michigan State, and the way we celebrate will be the mark of whether we're successful or not."

About 15,000 fliers were sent out in the dorms, and brightly colored notices were posted in university buildings detailing the university's disorderly conduct policy.

MSU basketball players have made public service announcements and head coaches Tom Izzo and Joanne P. McCallie sent e-mails to the entire university and took out advertisements in The State News encouraging Spartans to celebrate with class.

The university launched a Web site Wednesday night, www.finalfour.msu.edu, with information on policies, punishments and student reactions to past games.

Acting Provost John Hudzik sent an e-mail to faculty members Tuesday evening asking them to take time during class to talk to students about the consequences of destructive behaviors.

English Professor Ken Harrow talked to his class, but said he doubts the message will have much of an effect.

"If I tell you, 'Don't riot this weekend,' and you're a student in my class, are you going to change your behavior? Of course not. That's ridiculous," Harrow said.

Entrances to dorms will be locked at 9 p.m. both game nights, said Amy Franklin-Craft, associate director of Residence Life. Students must have their ID cards to re-enter.

Police from at least four agencies, including East Lansing, Lansing, Meridian Township and MSU, will be on patrol this weekend with extra staffing. There also will be assistance from the Ingham County Sheriff's office, including arrest vans and mounted police.

Police could block roads if people are crowding streets and might ask stores to stop selling alcohol if problems continue through the night, she said.

MSU police Sgt. Florene McGlothian-Taylor said the preparations are not meant to intimidate students, but to keep people safe. The department has developed tactics and techniques in recent years that will help identify problems within a crowd faster, allowing them to arrest offenders more quickly, she said.

Police protective gear will include helmets, body pads, gas masks and chemical ammunition, East Lansing police Capt. Juli Liebler said.

"Right after a game, it takes less than two minutes for a crowd to gather," she said. "We don't have the time to retreat to get the gear."

These efforts come after the 1999 and 2003 riots following the men's basketball team's appearances in the NCAA Tournament.

About 10,000 people rushed the streets of East Lansing in 1999, causing $250,000 in property damage. In 2003, about 2,000 people took to the city and caused $40,000 in damage.

In 1999, 132 people were arrested for participating in the riots in some form. In 2003, 30 people were arrested.

Officials said they are anticipating an influx of visitors this weekend to watch the game, and it is important to be sure they are acting responsibly as well.

"If there is someone coming who doesn't care about our team or image - we are looking to our students to educate them," MSU spokesman Terry Denbow said.

Brought together by past melees, representatives from the city of East Lansing and MSU have worked together since the late 1990s to ensure safe celebration after any sporting event.

City Manager Ted Staton said rioting or other mass partying that turns sour impacts the image of the community.

"It reflected negatively on the university and the community students live in, and, in some ways, devalued their education," he said.

"We started to see if we could change the culture," Staton said. "We saw behavior last weekend that people are going to be responsible."

Staff writers Margaret Harding, Lindsay VanHulle, Kris Turner and Lauren Phillips contributed to this report.