Alumni Association of the Michigan Alpha Chapter of Phi Delta Theta: September 2018

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].

Early Fall 2018

Dear Michigan Alpha Brother Alum,

[Posted September 7, 2018] Earlier this year, you should have received a letter from the Phi Delta Theta General Headquarters (PDT GHQ) that announced their decision to place the Michigan Alpha Charter in "escrow" while suspending the operations of the active chapter membership.

Due to the PDT GHQ's decision, the Michigan Alpha House Corporation is leasing the chapter house at 1437 Washtenaw to the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity for the 2018 Fall Semester while their chapter house is undergoing a major renovation that is expected to be finished by December. We are actively communicating with several interested entities about leasing our chapter house for all of 2019 starting in January.

As a result, unfortunately, the chapter house will not be open to Michigan Alpha alums for visits from now through 2019, and alumni vehicle parking will not be allowed on the front lawn or driveways during football Saturdays or any other time.

We recognize this will be an inconvenience and great disappointment for some alums, but the House Corporation is diligently working to keep the finances of the fraternity strong by generating substantial leasing revenue from the chapter house. In this regard, we ask that all alums respect the rights of our tenant to use the entire property as promised per the lease agreement.

The House Corporation will soon communicate with alums in detail about our plans for Homecoming 2018 (no event will take place at the chapter house of course), and efforts to restore the active chapter in coming years. In the meantime, alums can take pride in knowing that the House Corporation's financial position is solid, and the chapter house is in excellent condition as it begins its 115th consecutive year of providing fraternity housing on the U of M campus.

We share many alums' extreme frustration about the events and decisions that led to the closing of the active chapter. It was a complicated situation that occurred during a time when fraternities at U of M and across the nation are facing unprecedented scrutiny and pressure to implement meaningful reforms.

The House Corporation did everything possible to save the active chapter membership which had been determined by the U of M Interfraternity Council to be the top fraternity on the U of M campus in recent years, but sadly, that was impossible in the end due to a variety of factors.

Despite this major setback, the House Corporation remains proud of PDT's values, vision and commitment to providing the most responsible and beneficial fraternity experience at U of M. When the Michigan Alpha active chapter is restored, the House Corporation is confident that once again PDT will rise to the top of the U of M Greek System as it has done throughout our, for the most part, highly distinguished 154 years on campus.

Thank you for your patience and loyalty to the fraternity. If you have any immediate questions about this matter, please respond to this e-mail or directly e-mail Michigan Alpha House Corporation President J.T. (Tom) Buck '77 at [email protected].

Yours in the Bond,

Michigan Alpha House Corporation

Alumni Association of the Michigan Alpha Chapter of Phi Delta Theta

Michigan Alpha Centennial 1964

Homecoming 2013

Harmon BBQ 2013

Homecoming 2012

Mud Bowl

Categories