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

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].

Brother Steve Biegun '86 Inaugurates Michigan Alpha Alumni Guest Speaker Program

Michigan Alpha Alumni Association Seeks to Involve Alums in Helping Actives' Professional Development & Career Networking

[Posted February 7, 2022] In late January of this year, Brother Steve Biegun '86 became the first participant in the new Michigan Alpha Alumni Guest Speaker Program which took place over the internet broadcast platform Zoom that was set up to allow for an interactive discussion event with active chapter members attending in the living room of the chapter house.

More than twenty-five active chapter members watched Brother Biegun discuss his impressive career journey to the top of the international relations field during the evening talk. Earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Russian language and Political Science at the University of Michigan (U of M) as a member of the Class of 1986, he explained how this solid academic foundation enabled a steady professional career rise during the past three decades. Brother Biegun also talked about the value of brotherhood, friendships and life lessons learned through the fraternity.

His senior governmental positions in international relations include U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Staff Director, White House National Security Council Staff Director and U.S. State Department Deputy Secretary of State. Brother Biegun also held high-level private sector positions including Ford Motor Company Vice President of International Government Affairs. He is currently performing corporate consulting, and lives in Virginia with wife and children.

Active chapter Alumni Secretary Tom Berry '24 said, "On behalf of the active chapter, I thank Brother Biegun for making the time and effort to share his outstanding professional experiences and career building insights with the actives. We think the Alumni Guest Speaker Program is a great way for alums to help actives to learn about career paths and practical professional knowledge. We look forward to connecting with more alums in the future through these talks and special events such as Homecoming."

The Michigan Alpha Alumni Association is working with the active chapter leadership on scheduling at least two or three guest alumni speaker events per semester. Given the unpredictability of pandemic protocols and challenges of travel, we anticipate alumni talks will likely be only conducted by Zoom this semester, but it is hoped that participating alums will eventually have the option to speak to actives remotely or in-person at the chapter house.

In addition, the Alumni Association plans to explore more ideas to promote professional development and career networking to benefit active chapter members in the future. We are particularly interested in the concept of helping to facilitate summer internships and first jobs for active chapter members. Of course, given the tight job market for new hires, it is possible that alums may also benefit from having connections to potentially employ bright, highly-motivated U of M students.

Active chapter President Matt Wood '24 said, "One of Phi Delta Theta's Cardinal Principles is sound learning. Michigan Alpha believes that the fraternity helps our active chapter members add to their educational experience on campus by teaching valuable leadership skills and professional development not provided in the classroom. Our alums can play an important role in helping the fraternity to achieve this goal."

The Alumni Association encourages all alums to join our LinkedIn web site page -- currently boasting 210 members -- at www.linkedin.com/groups/1814340. Any alum interested in these initiatives is encouraged to contact the Alumni Association by e-mail at [email protected].

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Alumni Association of the Michigan Alpha Chapter of Phi Delta Theta

Michigan Alpha Centennial 1964

Homecoming 2013

Harmon BBQ 2013

Homecoming 2012

Mud Bowl

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