For the second time in NIU intramural football history, two teams from the same fraternity will try to reign over their counterparts from different Midwestern schools.

The two teams from Sigma Phi Epsilon are headed to the Eastbay.com National Intramural Recreational Sports Association’s seven-on-seven flag football regional championship, being held Saturday and Sunday at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

The Sig Eps completed a clean sweep of the NIU intramural football season Nov. 8, winning both the highly competitive and competitive championships.

The teams — Sig Ep Culmination and Sig Ep Strength and Honor — both won all seven games, easily sweeping away the competition.

Sig Ep Culmination defeated Pi Kappa Alpha’s team, Pike Gold, 13-12, in the highly competitive division championship, while Sig Ep Strength and Honor crushed Pike Garnet I, 26-0, in the competitive bracket championship.

Brian Kedzior, a senior communication major and Strength and Honor team member, said originally the two teams were slated to compete against each other for the championship, but the teams and the Office of Campus Recreation decided to forego the championship game and send both teams to the regionals.

Sig Ep Culmination and Strength and Honor were sponsored by the OCR and Sigma Phi Epsilon, respectively. The sponsors paid the $165 entry fee for each team.

Amy Fawcett, the intramural sports coordinator for the OCR, thinks the teams have a good shot at winning the competition this weekend.

“They’ve improved greatly from last year’s competition,” Fawcett said. “After having another season under their belt, I think their chances are pretty good.”

Nick Oliver, a junior mechanical engineering major and quarterback for Culmination, also feels optimistic about the regional championship.

“Both teams have gone 7-0, but I still think we haven’t played to the best of our ability,” Oliver said. “We’ve had to overcome some injuries, but we’re still really confident.”

The teams will play double elimination Saturday and, if they win, single elimination competition Sunday. The winner of Sunday’s contest will advance to the national championship, held in New Orleans over winter break.

Kedzior said the fraternity members feel a great sense of pride because of their winning teams.

“We put forth a lot of effort,” he said. “It makes us proud to wear our letters around campus.”courtesy photo

Sigma Phi Epsilon flag football team: (From Left) Bottom row: Dave Emmart, Henry Lloyd, Brian Kedzior, Frank Woodin. (From Left) Top row: Kevin Rumbaugh, Steve O’Malley, Brian Richter, John Kay, Steve Kulovits and Mark Michael.