MADISON, Wis. -- Madison leaders are seething over a Halloween ad in college newspapers across the country.

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A downtown business owner says the collective anxiety level along State Street about the annual Halloween bash just went up.

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Greater State Street Business Association President Sandi Torkildson calls the college newspaper ad "irresponsible," adding downtown businesses were worried enough after last year's riots and looting.

Halloween gives downtown businesses a big economic boost, but now some worry the ad's audience may mean a bigger Halloween headache.

Madison has been battered by Halloween riots two years in a row now.

A week ago, Sports Illustrated's "On Campus" edition put inserts in college newspapers nationwide. Inside its "'road trip" stops at colleges -- mostly for athletic events.

"Mark Oct. 31 on your calendar with an anarchy sign. We'll be in Madison, Wis., for its annual Halloween party.. in which up to 100,000 revelers parade on state street. Warning, this is not standard trick or treating, there have been riots the last two years."

Mayor Dave Cieslewicz said this is "absolutely the last thing we need. We've been working hard since last year to change the tone of the event -- make it smaller, more homegrown. We don't want a lot of people from out of town looking to party hard and the Sport Illustrated article really flies in the face of that."

Downtown Alder Mike Verveer it's disappointing because he and others have been working to avoid more riots with plans, such as big fine hikes.

"We've been planning for almost a year now to avoid a three peat of violence and property destruction," he said.

Officials said something that will help this year is the voluntary shutdown of one flashpoint last year -- University Inn.

The owner of the University Inn is turning over the business to police, instead of students. Officials said there will also be plenty of police, and aggressive enforcement early on.

Police said there are optimistic.

"We're going to rely on the information sources that we have, develop new ones as this event nears, and I'm confident that we wont have any problems whatsoever," said Public Information Officer Howard Payne. Students are very skeptical. Campus newspaper, The Badger Herald, is blasting the possible use of barricades to limit crowds on the 500 block.

"What it will really do is anger alcohol-fueled crowds who aren't allowed access ... a mob of party goers who won't be afraid to get physical in order to make their way to the hot spot of the night... a stampede could easily form," editors wrote.

The editors also blast the idea of blasting students with rented white lights at 3 a.m. to get them to go home.

A police spokesman told News 3 he could neither rule out nor confirm those plans.