MADISON, Wis. -- A popular University of Wisconsin-Madison dorm has dropped its women-only rule and gone co-ed for the first time in its 66-year history.

Both female and male students were busy moving their belongings into Elizabeth Waters Hall on Wednesday.

UW-Madison housing officials said that for years demand for women-only residence halls has been declining and that they have to keep up with what students want.

"When we changed it to co-ed, it was one of our most popular buildings selected by both incoming freshman as well as returning students. So I don't think there were very mixed feelings by the students living in Liz (Waters) today. I think they're pretty excited about the changes," said Paul Evans, housing director at UW-Madison.

The change has third-year dorm resident Casey Anderson expecting more noise but not much else.

"There's a little bit of reminiscence for the all-girls dorm but ... I think I like the change of having boys and girls. It'll be like every other dorm then," Anderson said. "I think it'll be a little bit more rowdy, but that's about it."

Some of the 500 students of both sexes at the dorm told WISC-TV they like Liz Waters' bigger rooms and location.

"One of the reasons I wanted to (live in Liz Waters) is because I thought it would be kind of a clean dorm because, you know, the girls having been in it for so long and they keep it tidy -- but it's not the case," said Dan Blake, a UW-Madison freshman moving into Liz Waters Hall.

Evans said that going co-ed with the dorm was really a no-brainer.

"There are 488 spaces in Liz (Waters) and we had a hard time selling that to 488 women who wanted all single-sex housing," Evans said.

Yet some of those who took part in the dorm's women-only tradition feel like something's been lost.

"It was almost like a sorority of girls," said Lisa Sutter, parent of a UW-Madison student.

But 28 years after Lisa Sutter moved in to Liz Waters, her son is able to follow in her footsteps. He moved in Wednesday, alongside other men and women.

There are now foosball tables in the hall, as well as slightly different bathrooms for men, WISC-TV reported.

There is one place left on the UW-Madison campus for those seeking female bonding. Officials designated Cole Hall, with 244 beds, the new women-only hall.