Are you a volleyball fan? Do you like to get down and dirty? Throw some mud in there and voila – you have OOzeball!
OOzeball is an annual mud volleyball tournament, a tradition that originated at the University of Connecticut in 1984. Over 1,000 students, both players and spectators, come together each year to engage in this exciting sport that is held on the beautiful quad of South Campus during Spring Weekend. This year, OOzeball is being held on April 16th, 2011 marking it as the 28th running, which makes it the longest running tournament in the nation!
Not only has OOzeball gained popularity in the past couple of years but it has also become recognized three times by Sports Illustrated:
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“Best Mud Volleyball in the Country” –SI Best of College Sports
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“#33 on the Top 100 Things Gotta Do Before You Graduate: No Matter The Cost” –SI on Campus
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“Best Use of Dirt” –SI on Campus
Any current UConn student with a valid UConn ID or UConn Alum is welcome and encouraged to play. Even UConn staff and faculty can play if they wanted to… and let’s face it – it would be quite hilarious seeing your professors rolling around, covered from head to toe in mud.
So where and how do you register?
Your team captain must register your team online. And you’re in luck because the registration has been extended to TODAY, March 21st, so sign up immediately! The online registration form is posted on the Alumni Association website. The captain must also print out the liability from confirmation e-mail and have it signed by all the players and submitted to the Alumni Center by April 1st.
OOzeball is $15 a person, which covers expenses such as the 350 tons of dirt, totaling around $5,400! Included in the $15 registration fee is a free official OOzeball t-shirt, a free team photo, free coca cola products and a chance at a tournament Grand Prize of $300 or a Consolation Prize of $200!
In order to keep teams as fair as possible, all teams have to have a minimum of 3 guys and 3 girls on the team, and on the court at all times. However, the maximum amount of players on each team is up to 8 so it doesn’t hurt to have two extra subs.
Each year, OOzeball raises money for a fundraising event. Yes, you play volleyball in 8 inches of mud and do it all for a great cause! What is better than that?
This year, OOzeball is fundraising for Channel 3 Kids Camp! They are one of the only camp facilities in
Connecticut that provides accessible and affordable overnight camping experiences for lower income families, foster children and families in need. Just a $3 donation from each team is all that’s needed as they celebrate their 101 year anniversary!
Click here for more info on the official OOzeball rules and regulations.
Also, read the Rules Cheat Sheet (trust us, it comes in very handy!).
Hopefully now you know a little bit more about OOzeball than you did before and now it’s time to get practicing before April 16th rolls around. So whether you want to play on a team or simply volunteer to set up, OOzeball is a great way to have fun with your friends, raise money for a cause and show your true Husky Spirit!
Come up with a clever team name, make fun t-shirts and get ready to play DIRTY this Spring Weekend!
Do not forget to sign up TODAY as it is the last day to do so. Become a fan of the OOzeball 2011 Facebook page, or visit the Facebook event page. Check out photos from past years here.