Mechanical engineering senior Pablo Luna attempts to hit a ball during Oozeball on Sept. 19, 2025, on the corner of Summit Avenue and Greek Row Drive.
File photo / Elvis Martinez-Cartagena
The deadline to register for Oozeball, UTA’s annual mud volleyball tournament, is Sept. 21, and the event will take place Sept. 25. Late entries will be put on a waiting list.
Nathan Ha, assistant director for Sport Programs, said teams of six players can register and pay the $60 fee per team through the Campus Recreation website.
Ha said that although games begin at 1 p.m., teams usually arrive at noon to complete waivers and make other preparations.
Ha said Oozeball follows a set of rules similar to traditional volleyball. Participants will play 10-to-15-minute games in a pool of mud until a team reaches 11 points.
“Get ready to be dirty and muddy and swing,” he said. “It’s a long day, but it’s a long day of fun.”
Ha said one of the biggest risk management policies the tournament has aside from waivers is having participants tape their shoes.
“Campus Recreation is all about having fun, but we know that we need to value safety first,” he said.
Additional rules include no horseplay and that participants must wear shirts to prevent scratches from potential hazards in the mud, he said. Other rules about the game itself, such as no throwing mud at opponents or no arguing with officials, are discussed on-site.
Ha said this has been a long-standing tradition at the university, and a lot of students enjoy the sense of identity that comes with participating.
“This is supposed to be a very fun, lighthearted event that’s inclusive for everybody,” he said. “We want to make sure that everyone feels like they are a part of this UTA tradition.”
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