Eighty-eight teams braved the mud-filled gauntlet of Oozeball, chasing the chance to be crowned the 2025 champion. But only one team conquered the sludge and etched its name in UTA history. In the final game, the hungry Caniac Combo took on the Kupari Bros, who were playing for a repeat title. With the score tied 10-10, tension filled the air as both teams needed one more point to clinch victory. Caniac Combo served, and after a short rally ended with a decisive block at the net, the final whistle blew. The crowd erupted — Caniac Combo had claimed the crown. Players from the team embraced each other in the mud, hugging and shouting in triumph. By the end of the celebration, they were nearly unrecognizable under the thick layer of sludge, but their smiles cut through it all. Ari Abramsky, business management sophomore and Caniac Combo team captain, said she’d been saying all day the team was going to win, but was still shocked when the final whistle blew. “It was so stressful because half our team was stuck in the mud. We couldn't move,” Abramsky said. “We were praying, ‘Help, help, we can't get it.’ But we came out with the win.” The Caniac Combo members first came together as freshmen, playing a pickup sand volleyball game outside their dorm. After hours on the court, a trip to Raising Cane's sealed their bond. Their love for the chicken chain gave them their name, and this year that name will be remembered as UTA’s Oozeball champion. Since 1989, Oozeball has been one of UTA’s most beloved traditions, drawing students, alumni, faculty and staff into a muddy battle for bragging rights. This year's 36th annual Oozeball tournament featured 88 teams playing 176 games, filling the courts with laughter, chaos and competition. Josh Hale, Campus Recreation assistant director of sports programs, said the tournament's unique nature is what makes it so special. “Courts are disgusting, they’re covered, filthy, so they are in prime Oozeball shape,” Hale said. Hale said Oozeball takes months of preparation, with planning starting before students even return to campus and collaboration to set up the courts. For Hale, the payoff is seeing the community come alive in the mud. “This is why we work here. It's to just provide meaningful opportunities to our students,” he said. “You can call it the Super Bowl. I like to call it Christmas Day.” Isaiah Joseph, a master's student in public administration and Freshman Leaders on Campus adviser, reflected on how the event has changed since he arrived on campus in 2019. “Oozeball, as we all know, it's a long-standing UTA tradition,” Joseph said. “But honestly, I'm loving to see how much it's grown,” Joseph said. “I was here in 2019. Pre-COVID, it was insane. Since then, we've been kind of trying to get back to what it is, and today I'm seeing the energy that I remember.” While the mud and traditions stay the same, the champions change. For Caniac Combo, victory meant more than just surviving — it meant a place in UTA history. “It means a lot. It feels like we’re going to be remembered for years and years after we’re gone, after we graduate and we’ll just be a part of the school forever,” Abramsky said. @diegocllazo news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

As fans eagerly lined College Park Center’s entrance gates ahead of the Dallas Wings’ final game of the 2025 season Thursday, some delivered a unique sentiment within the noise. Spreading the message of equality in professional sports, North Texas labor leaders rallied in support of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association, the first labor union for professional women athletes. Their message: “Pay them what you owe them.” As the WNBA continues to grow and garner nationwide attention, so has the sentiment. Many players, fans and stakeholders have been pushing to lessen the gap in pay between the WNBA and the NBA, which is known for granting its star players substantially higher salaries. Texas Rep. Chris Turner, D-Grand Prairie, said during the rally that the Texas American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations were there supporting WNBA players across the league negotiating for a new contract to improve wages and working conditions. These contracts, known as collective bargaining agreements, are negotiated between the WNBA and the WNBPA to establish terms of employment for players, including salaries and benefits, travel standards, career development and elements of free agency. The WNBPA voted to opt out of the current agreement in October 2024, according to the Associated Press. With the 2025 season wrapping up, attention now shifts toward negotiating a new deal before the existing contracts expire. “They’re making all this wealth for a league that exploded in popularity and earnings,” said Tevita ‘Uhatafe, president of the Federation of North Texas Labor Unions, during the rally. “They’re making millions and millions of dollars, yet they’re stalling on contract negotiations with these workers.” The WNBA’s surge in popularity has driven a 23% increase in television ratings in the past year, a 13% rise in game attendance and a 26% boost in total ticket sales, according to NPR. These gains build on momentum from the 2024 season, when the league recorded a 170% increase in viewership from 2023 ratings across ESPN platforms. Rising viewership and attendance created an opening for players to push for change. During the WNBA All-Star Game in July at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, the league’s biggest stars gathered, and players used the spotlight to amplify their message. Players from Team Clark and Team Collier wore black warm-up shirts that read, “Pay Us What You Owe Us.” The message was the result of a behind-the-scenes meeting, as players aimed to deliver a concise but impactful statement to a global audience. Since the received message, unions and fans have added their voices in solidarity to the players, doing so at every venue, no matter what happens, ‘Utatafe said. The agreement deadline extends past the regular season, with the final decisions being made before the start of November. Having opted out, WNBA players could potentially be out of professional play if a new deal with the league is not met, according to ESPN. While awaiting a finalized agreement, Nneka Ogwumike, Seattle Storm forward and WNBPA president, said the league seeks a fixed percentage in contracts, while players want salary growth tied to the league’s business, according to ESPN. Wings guard Paige Bueckers, the No. 1 draft pick and one of the biggest faces in the league, has helped propel the movement toward Wings fans, who have backed the players on and off the court. It’s a future the WNBA is betting on, as the league plans to expand into new markets with teams in Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia — beginning with Cleveland in 2028 — which are subject to change. Arlington resident Linda McQuay, a 50-year-old Wings fan, said it has been meaningful to have a WNBA team in her hometown. Noting the individuality of Bueckers, she said she’s happy to see cities have the opportunity to invest and have more teams introduced. @kaleivie_ news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu