Members of Delta Sigma Phi celebrate after their win over Beta Theta Pi. Loyolan Editor-in-Chief Chris Benis is pictured in center.
A beloved tradition returned to the Bluff on Oct. 22, 2022: Greek Week flag football. Though LMU may not have an NCAA Bowl-eligible team, there was plenty of high-stakes football action when members of LMU’s sorority and fraternity communities took to the field in order to raise money for the B+ Foundation, which funds research and benefits families battling cancer.
Each year, the event is coordinated by Sorority & Fraternity Life in tandem with LMU Dance Marathon for fundraising efforts throughout the week. This year, the teams collectively raised over $31,000 dollars through seven days.
Each team’s fundraising total goes toward more than just supporting a good cause; tournament seeding is determined by the amount of money raised and participation throughout the week, and teams that capitalize on both get the critical advantage of a first-round bye in the bracket-style tournament. LMU sororities play in a six-team bracket, with three rounds in total and two first-round byes. The fraternities also have three rounds, but only one first round bye.
In the sorority bracket, Pi Beta Phi and 2021 champion Delta Gamma secured the first-round byes. Delta Gamma lost to Alpha Chi Omega in overtime in the second round, and Pi Beta Phi fell to eventual champion Kappa Alpha Theta, meaning that neither top-seeded team advanced to the final. Kappa Alpha Theta defeated their three opponents by a margin of 64-6. They took down the Alpha Chi Omega squad in the championship round with a score of 18-0.
“I had a lot of fun playing last year. I’m a pretty competitive person and I honestly really just wanted to avenge our rivalry with Pi [Beta] Phi after they beat us last year,” said junior Kappa Alpha Theta member Avery Kokka. “When I was in elementary school, [my twin brother and I] always played flag football together. I’ve always kind of liked it, but it’s not really something that girls have the opportunity to get into in any official capacity, so [having the opportunity to play during Greek Week], I’m going to take advantage of that because I don’t know when I’m ever going to have that again in my life.”
Defending fraternity champions Beta Theta Pi fell early to Delta Sigma Phi, while Alpha Delta Gamma defeated Sigma Phi Epsilon in a close semifinal match. Delta Sigma Phi shut out each of their opponents, including a 6-0 defeat over Alpha Delta Gamma in the championship round.
“It was just fun to win it for the seniors,” said junior Delta Sigma Phi member Jacob Leftwich, who scored the championship-winning play with ten seconds left in the game. “I have a lot of good friends in the senior class this year, so seeing them leave this fraternity with that win under their belt really makes me happy.”
