College football is one of the most renowned and loved aspects of the college experience as a whole. From the homecoming rallies to the tailgating and the inter-collegiate rivalries, there is no college tradition as enticing as the football season, and no school celebrates it better than the University of Michigan, with by far the most bizarre traditions across collegiate football: the Mudbowl.
Starting in 1934, the Mudbowl is an annual homecoming tradition at the University of Michigan in which members of two rival fraternities, Phi Delta Theta and Sigma Alpha Epsilon, face off against one another in a football game. The only catch, this game is played in a pit of mud.
Each year, on the lawn outside of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon house, students intentionally create a pit of mud that serves as the playing field for all Mudbowl games. The creation process for this pit of mud alone uses over 10,000 gallons of water, which is supplied annually by the Ann Arbor Fire Department. In a seven vs. seven format, the Mudbowl adopts all the rules of regular football, including tackling, to play some of the messiest football there is. With audience members surrounding the pit in all directions, it truly is a battle to determine which fraternity is superior for the year.
However, while on the surface it may seem like a messy tradition meant solely for recreational purposes and school spirit, year after year, this muddy sport actually works directly with charities across Michigan to raise money for a variety of causes. Since the 1990s, the MudBowl has partnered directly with Washtenaw County’s C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, a local children’s hospital, along with many other charities, to transform this football spectacle into a philanthropic event. The Mudbowl isn’t just about school spirit, but about using it to support and advance the community around them, and nothing makes this as clear as the most recent Mudbowl.
The 2025 Umich Mudbowl was a spectacle in all aspects of the word. Taking place on November 1st, this edition of the game marked the 91st year since its creation. This particular year, the Umich community also raised over 83,000 dollars in donations, marking the most ever raised in a single year since the creation of the Mudbowl. This money went to various charitable organizations such as the Charles Mott Fund, the Charles Woodson Clinical Research Fund, and the Rogel Cancer Center.
This year’s game was also one of the most entertaining and intense matches in the Mudbowl series. Starting at 12 noon, Sigma Alpha Epsilon got to a quick lead, scoring two consecutive touchdowns and leading 14-0. However, the “Phi Delts” were able to answer back, and the half came to an end with a score of 14-7. The second twenty-minute half, however, carried most of the action.
With 3 consecutive snaps resulting in 3 consecutive touchdowns, scoring amped up for the entire second half. Finally, however, as the mud cleared on an intense 91st annual game, Phi Delta Theta (the reigning champs) came out on top by two points with a final score of 32-30.
The Mudbowl is not only a prime example of school spirit used for the well-being of the community, but also can serve as inspiration for the BIFU community to do the same.
“I think it’s really great that they raised so much money,” said Ailsa Wu (12) upon hearing about the mudbowl. As Ailsa brings up, the charitable inspirations and outcomes of these games are one of the most surprising and
The BIFU community should use the Mudbowl as inspiration for our own events, working to build school spirit and raise up our community at the same time. With recent events like the spirit week football game and talent show, which focus solely on school spirit, it may be time for us to come together as a school to uplift our community as well.