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Michigan Alpha Centennial 1964

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    The Centennial Celebration 1964 jointly hosted by the Michigan Alpha Alumni Association and active chapter.

Homecoming 2013

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    Homecoming 2013 at 1437 Washtenaw.

Harmon BBQ 2013

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    BBQ at the chapter house to honor Tom Harmon '41.

Homecoming 2012

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    BBQ revives tradition attracting strong alumni attendance.

Mud Bowl

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    A PHOTO HISTORY OF THE MUD BOWL 1934 to 1997 ~ MICHIGAN'S GREATEST FRATERNITY ATHLETIC RIVALRY During the fall of 1934, Phi Delta Theta (PDT) active member E. Reed Low '37 challenged the "house across the street" (Sigma Alpha Epsilon -- SAE) to a friendly game of "touch" football on the morning of Homecoming in a little used valley in their side yard along South University. Low is considered the founder of the Mud Bowl. The men of PDT and SAE fought a close match which SAE narrowly won 8 - 6. Given the intense rivalry between the two fraternities which were located only a couple hundred feet apart, it was decided that the Mud Bowl would be an annual event. The Mud Bowl became a revered Homecoming tradition as PDT and SAE fiercely battled each year for nothing more than pride. In the early years, the game essentially was a rough intramural football match played on a field that was wetter and shorter than regulation. As the annual contest matured, it was decided that the challenge and entertainment value of the game could be enhanced by tilling the ground and flooding the field. Eventually, the Ann Arbor Fire Department contributed to making the mayhem on the field even more muddy by pouring approximately 10,000 gallons of water into the valley shortly before the game. By kickoff of games played in the 1970s through the 1990s, it was not uncommon for the mud to be more than one foot deep with water covering the west end of the "field." The PDT-SAE rivalry series in the Mud Bowled ended in 1997 after the 60th game between the two fraternities was played. The records about these 60 games are a combination of fact and myth, but no one disputes that this was the greatest fraternity athletic rivalry in the State of Michigan if not the entire nation. The Mud Bowl grew into such a spectacle that crowds numbering in the thousands showed up each year to witness the game. The game attracted coverage by Sports Illustrated, ESPN, ABC Sports as well as campus, Ann Arbor and Detroit media. The Mud Bowl became so popular that national brewing companies -- at first Stroh's, and then Miller -- sponsored the event. Of course, some people have speculated that the presence of sororities playing football, or speedball in some years, during the half-time may have garnered most of the great public interest in the event. Nonetheless the athleticism and intensity of the PDT-SAE matchups proved to be very entertaining for the fans. While the exact win-loss tally is subject to dispute, it is believed that PDT rightly boasts a few more victories in the series than SAE. Given that SAE hand picked the referees for each Mud Bowl, a PDT victory typically required overcoming the opposing players plus the men in stripes. For this reason, PDT's hard fought "losses" remain as much a source of pride as its many victories. If you have pictures or memories of the Mud Bowl to share with the Alumni Association's Heritage Project, please contact us at [email protected].

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PDT-SAE Mud Bowl 1934 - 1997

Help the Alumni Association Remember the Greatest Fraternity Athletic Rivalry in Michigan History

D 999 1 MB 70 pdt win2As every Michigan Alpha man knows, it was the brash, intrepid E. Reed Low '37 who challenged the "house across the street" -- Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) -- to a friendly game of "touch" football on the morning of Homecoming 1934 in a little used valley in their side yard along South University. The men of PDT narrowly lost the first grudge match, but tradition of the PDT v SAE Mud Bowl was firmly established as Low intended.

While the exact win-loss tally is subject to dispute, it is believed that PDT rightly boasts a few more victories in the 60 game series than SAE. The Alumni Association is in the process of improving our documentation of this legendary rivalry as a part of the Michigan Alpha Heritage Project.

We established a photo history of the Mud Bowl on our web site that Alumni Association plans to expand with the support of alums. The Alumni Association has also posted all known scores, or outcomes, of Mud Bowl games for which we have records. To date, we've documented the scores, or results, of 43 games. If you can help us to fill in the gaps in our records, please contact the Alumni Association.

In this regard, we offer thanks to Rob Schram '71 who recently donated a classic picture of PDT's conquest in the 1970 Mud Bowl (see above). Pictured from left to right: Wayne Paulson '72, Pat Valant '72, Larry Danek '72, Mark Joliat '72, Rick Henz '69, Steve Hosmer '71, Dan Gunsett '71, Chuck Medlar '71, Bob Schram '71 and Larry Grandy '72.

If you have pictures, Sword & Shield newsletters articles, memorabilia or just interesting memories of the Mud Bowl to share with the Michigan Alpha Heritage Project, please contact Alumni Association Secretary Greg Karmazin '87 at [email protected].

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