Coated in mud from head to toe, 128 teams battled each other in the 20th annual Oozfest mud volleyball tournament Saturday for a first-place trophy and a lot of fun at the mud pits near South Lake Village.
The theme of this year's Oozfest - with its 21st anniversary next year - was "Almost Legal."
The 128 co-ed teams of students, faculty, alumni and community members were allowed a maximum of eight players.
The $120 it cost each team to participate included a playing fee, doughnuts for breakfast, subs for lunch, t-shirts and side events such as a three-legged race and root beer pong.
"There's always crazy stuff going on. Today we dared a girl who was adamant about keeping the mud off of her to dive in a pool of it for $30, and she did it," said Robert Craige of Erie, Pa., a mud volleyball enthusiast who travels around the country to participate in similar competitions.
According to Craige, schools such as the University of Connecticut, Western Illinois and the University of Kansas all have similar competitions, but nothing near the magnitude of Oozfest.
Craige wasn't the only person who traveled a long distance to get some dirt under his fingernails, though. One team with no affiliation to UB came from Canada to play.
"This is our eighth year competing. We made it to the semifinals today. It's the furthest we've gone yet. I can't wait till next year," said Scott Brod, a 2000 UB graduate who drove up from New York City Friday night to participate.
When Oozfest began in 1984, it was held outside the Student Union. Not until recently was it moved to its permanent home, complete with UB sign, near South Lake Village.
Now, what began as a novelty has become one of UB's biggest and longest-running traditions.
"Oozefest was originally started to act as a stress reliever for finals," said Sarah Pietsch, a sophomore mathematics major and event staff member.
While the day for competitors started at 8 a.m., organizers were working hours and even months before that.
"It is always interesting to see the people who staffed Spring Fest last night who don't even bother to go to sleep and stay to staff Oozfest today," said Ruth Kleinman, a junior psychology major and event coordinator.
"We had to write an essay to be selected for (an organizing) position. Once we got that, the yearlong planning process for Oozfest began," said Rachel Nashett, a sophomore environmental studies major.
After two decades of mud and fun, participants and organizers each have their opinions about why the turnout remains so tremendous every year that extra teams must be waitlisted.
"The adrenaline rush is incredible. People come for that," said Kleinman.
"The mud is what brings people out," said Kyle Mackee, a junior communication major and head Oozfest referee.
Occasionally participants ended up knee or waist deep in sinkholes that formed underneath the sloppy mud pit, but most team players took it in stride.
"We have never had any serious accidents. Minor scrapes and cuts, but nothing big," said Nashett.
Richard Delecki, a junior mechanical engineering major and three-time participant at Oozfest, was thrilled with the sunny day and minimal wind factor at the event.
"Last year it was so cold and windy that my team left before we were done playing. We really lucked out this year," Delecki said.
Team spirit was everywhere, both on and off the mud courts. Several teams developed their own chants and methods of intimidation, while others sported homemade uniforms, garbage bags or speedos. One team came dressed in suits and ties. Another braved the cold mud shirtless.
Afterward, teams of indistinguishable mud-coated people lined up for free group pictures.
At the end of the tournament, the Crazy Aces was declared the winning team, followed by Muddy Buddies, Diesal and Alpha Sig. The first place team received a large trophy, a $200 gift certificate to Kahunaville, eight large Tim Horton's coffee mugs, and Shrek ears and press-on tattoos donated by Dreamworks Studios.
It was Crazy Aces' first time competing in Oozfest, and the victory left team captain Larry Smith, a freshman pharmacy major, with only one thing to say: "We came. We saw. We conquered."
