Two weeks before Thanksgiving Break, Greek Row buzzed with excitement for the long standing tradition of women’s Tugs. From food trucks and families to the bite of chilled autumn air, an eager group crowded around the trenches right in Sigma Nu’s backyard.
“Tugs” is a variation on the classic game of tug-of-war which began on NIU’s campus in the late 1940s. In its earlier days, Tugs was hosted by the East Lagoon with the consequence of losers having to jump in the cold murky waters.
Although the event is now hosted at 912 Edgebrook Drive, both the Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic Council have managed to keep up the lively spirits of the crowds nearly a century later.
THE RULES
Two teams start in a match of three rounds called “ropes.” Competitors must use their own and combined strengths to pull the 10-foot rope, vying for leverage in order to reach a score of at least 1.5 points. To do so, teams must either pull the rope in its entirety over to their side, force the opposing team to concede or finish with the knot on their side by the end of the 20-minute round.
MATCH 1: DELTA GAMMA VERSUS DELTA ZETA
Delta Gamma and Delta Zeta kicked off the competition in Match 1 on Monday. Spirits were high with about 100 people in attendance. Families, friends and alumni came to support the sororities with matching colors and signs to cheer on those who were in the competition.
For about the first 10 minutes of the first rope, it seemed as if it would be a close round. Delta Gamma stood in a hang, as if they were going to try and yank the rope with full force and end the game, but as the last 10 minutes in the game approached, Delta Zeta had managed to strong arm the competition and gain the upper hand in the first rope.
For the second rope, Delta Gamma powered through and won with a slight advantage. But in the end, the third rope was won by Delta Zeta, making them the winners of the first match.
Taylor Reyna, a sophomore finance major who was at Delta Zeta’s sixth trench, expressed her excitement for the win.
“It’s great because we came together as a sorority, as a team. It’s just great, like, it was an experience I never, never have ever experienced in my life,” Reyna said.
MATCH 2: ALPHA SIGMA ALPHA VERSUS DELTA ZETA
In Wednesday’s Match 2 between Alpha Sigma Alpha and Delta Zeta, ASA championed the first rope. Delta Zeta then fought back and got the second rope. The third rope was won again by ASA, securing the win for Match 2.
MATCH 3: SIGMA SIGMA SIGMA VERSUS ALPHA SIGMA ALPHA
Also taking place that Wednesday, Sigma Sigma Sigma managed to sweep the competition against Alpha Phi, winning all three ropes of the match. This advanced Tri Sig to the championship round alongside ASA.
MATCH 4: ALPHA PHI VERSUS DELTA ZETA
Championship day began with a loser’s bracket to decide third place.
Delta Zeta started off with a harsh tug, being the first of the teams to get up in a hang, with Alpha Phi bracing themselves against the trenches to maintain their position. Despite Delta Zeta’s early advantage, Alpha Phi was resilient and kept holding on.
Both teams fought for every inch, locked in a standstill as the tape marker wavered over each side, with only the rope to show who was the victor.
The match continued like this until the five minute marker had been called, Alpha Phi had managed to catch up to their competitors’ advantage until Delta Zeta had taken control of the rope, managing to wrangle it back over to their side and declared the winners of the first rope.
In the second rope, Alpha Phi was dominant, successfully maintaining their position throughout the round and taking the win.
Alpha Phi’s grip seemed to loosen on the rope, with two team members having to rewrap their arm tape, indicating a bit of fatigue on their side.
This allowed Delta Zeta to maintain their advantage on the field while encouragement from their respective sisters was shouted from beside them, as well as from the crowd that had gathered.
It was a close game, and the competition lasted for the entire 20 minutes with both sides struggling to keep hold. Delta Zeta secured their third place win, securings third place for Women’s Tugs 2025.
CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: ALPHA SIGMA ALPHA VERSUS SIGMA SIGMA SIGMS
The crowd erupted into cheers as Tri Sig and ASA stepped into the pit, and after much anticipation, the moment finally arrived when the announcer declared: “Tuggers ready, tuggers set, tug!”
Both teams of tuggers competed with sharp focus as the crowd pressed against the barricades.
The first championship round commenced and followed with 15 minutes of intense, nonstop pulling.
The round ended with Tri Sig dominating. Their formation and early-game momentum earned them a solid head start that was maintained throughout the round.
In the second round, there was no time limit and victory was awarded only when a team secured the longest half of the rope between them.
In the early moments of the round, both sororities strained hard as their boots dug into the ground. The rope was tight with tension, as ASA gained the lead. The crowd: ecstatic.
With Alpha Sigma Alpha maintaining a tight hold of the rope, they held the advantage gained at the start of the round.
Tri Sig pushed back hard, but were met with unwavering strength as ASA pulled with a hunger for the title.
The final round lasted about one hour and 45 minutes. Alpha Sigma Alpha remained a durable team, pulling past the majority mark to claim victory once and for all.
Olivia Jensen, fourth-year nursing major and Alpha Sigma Alpha tugger, commented on the win, crediting her team’s hard work and the trust developed between the tuggers and their coaches.
“They (ASA’s coaches) really have pushed us to be way better than we ever thought we probably would have,” Jensen said. “It’s like a trust thing. I know, in all honesty, I probably trust them with my whole life, just because they know how I can function. They know how we all tug, and that really helps.”
She then went on to explain ASA’s rigorous condition that helped them secure their win.
“We did win last year, but we really wanted to keep that title. So, we just really had to tweak small things we needed to improve on last year,” Jensen said. “I think like the hard work and dedication we put into the season, even with the conditioning and all that, it adds up. It builds stamina.”
Before the final round began, a special announcement about the funds raised for this event being donated to support the Kishwaukee Special Recreation Association (KSRA) on behalf of each competing sorority. The KRSA is an organization created to support, and provide all kinds of recreational activities for people of all levels of abilities.
Dawn Schaefer, executive director at KSRA, spoke at the event to share its mission with the crowd.
“We have expanded on all the things that we do, including an adult day program for the individuals who graduate high school and veterans in our community.”
Schaefer expressed her gratitude on behalf of organizers and participants at the foundation, introducing the final game.
“And thanks to this amazing event, we appreciate the support, are able to provide freer programs, cheaper programs, and even goat yoga,” she said.
