Mud, Sweat and Tears: Oozefest ’14

Photography by Douglas Levere

The 30th annual Oozefest, held on May 10, was the biggest, baddest ever, with about 1,500 participants competing in 400 matches. Between games, duct-taped players twerked to dance and hip-hop on an expanded dance floor, while the pizza line snaked down St. Rita’s Lane to the outdoor “showers.”

End-of-semester attitude was on full display as competitors slipped, sloshed and dove their way into the sticky mess—and the history books. Veteran team The Sheepherders snatched its 100th career win, while Poached Trout in a White Wine Sauce commemorated 25 consecutive years in the slop with devilish makeup and a live soundtrack by members of the UB Marching Band. This year’s champions, Seven and a Half White Men, celebrated their fourth back-to-back victory.

Creative team names is one of many cherished Oozefest traditions. Here are some of our favorites (we tried to keep ’em clean).

            » Blood Bath and Beyond
            » Emma Watson
            » Interracial Sets
            » Mud, Sweat and Beards
            » PJ Bottoms Up
            » The Empire Spikes Back
            » The Itsy Bitsy Spikers
            » To Kill a Blocking Nerd
            » Wolves of Winspear
            » Word to Ya Mudder

            16: Number of teams in 1984
            192: Number of teams in 2014
            30,000+: Estimated number of participants since ’84
            3,120: Slices of pizza consumed
            800,000: Gallons of water pumped into the Mud Pit from Lake LaSalle
            100%: Chance of finding footwear from the previous year when the field is tilled