About 25 members of ASUA and the Zona Zoo Crew painted 8,150 square feet of East University Boulevard the UA cardinal red this morning.

Students prepared the logistics of the makeover at 2 a.m. and, from 3-6 a.m., the street was barricaded while the students painted.

Organizers said they hope to repaint the area of East University Boulevard from North Park Avenue to North Euclid Avenue every Friday morning for Bear Down Friday spirit events on the eve of home football games.

“”I want students to turn the corner on University, see the red boulevard and (have) their eyes pop out of their sockets,”” said David Roost, Zona Zoo executive director.

The members of ASUA and Zona Zoo received the green light from the City of Tucson to paint two 5-foot wide stripes along the center of the lanes.

The square at the intersection of University Boulevard and North Tyndall Avenue will also be painted red.

The Marshall Foundation, a nonprofit foundation that owns a majority of the buildings on University Boulevard, is paying for all of the fees to

bolster UA pride, said Jane McCollum, general manager of the Marshall Foundation.

“”Our office has worked out the planning and the painting and they are paying for all of it,”” said Tommy Bruce, ASUA president.

“”We really wanted to change how University looked for Bear Down Fridays,”” McCollum said.

Bear Down Friday events continue today and for every home game from 4-7 p.m.