An off-campus party Thursday night at the University's Altoona Campus ended with police rounding up 225 people and transporting them in five buses to city hall.

After undergoing breath tests, 77 students, including five minors, were cited for underage drinking, said Cpl. Frank Shields of the Altoona Police Department.

A neighbor notified police of the party that took place at a house occupied by members of a local fraternity, Beta Alpha Delta, located at 418 11th Ave. in Altoona. About 15 officers responded and arrived at the house at about 10 p.m., Shields said.

The residence is an unrecognized fraternity house because fraternities are not allowed to own houses off campus, said Joe Reasy, director of University Relations at the Altoona Campus. But it was widely known that fraternity members lived there, he added.

Beta Alpha Delta is not a national fraternity, Reasy said, but it is a registered student organization.

Because the incident occurred off campus, the University can't do anything to those students arrested, Reasy added. The University is investigating the possibility that the party may have been a rush function, which would be grounds for putting the fraternity on probation as a student organization, he said.

"We're concerned when people gather in those kind of numbers," he said.

The University runs many alcohol awareness programs during the year, including an University orientation session, to familiarize students with Pennsylvania drinking laws, Reasy said.

A similar incident occurred two years ago, Reasy said, adding that complaints to the University are normally rare because residents know the University can't do anything when problems occur off campus.