How to Get Involved in the Largest Student Organization at the U
(Photo by Kevin Cody | The Daily Utah Chronicle)
August 26, 2021
M.U.S.S.– noun
1. a state of chaos or disorder.
2. the Mighty Utah Student Section
“Wow, the MUSS was out of control at the football game this weekend!”
For students new to the University of Utah, attending a large school can be intimidating. Many people struggle to build friendships and find community because they simply don’t know where to begin. The Daily Utah Chronicle sports desk writer Brian Preece had the opportunity to sit down with M.U.S.S. President Avery Abelhouzen and get her take on the M.U.S.S. and its role with the University of Utah and most importantly, you.
What is the M.U.S.S.?
Founded in 2002 as the “Utah Football Fan Club” and renamed in 2003, the M.U.S.S. is the University of Utah’s fan club for all athletic teams, including football, men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball, baseball and softball. Expected to have 6,000 to 7,000 students participating in the 2021-22 season, the M.U.S.S. is the largest student section in the Pac-12. In 2019, the M.U.S.S. was a finalist for and finished behind only Penn State for the Live Más Student Section Award presented by ESPN.
How Can Incoming Students Get Involved?
Technically, all U students are members of the M.U.S.S., but because of seating limitations for football, students are required to sign up for premium M.U.S.S. memberships to guarantee them a seat inside of Rice-Eccles Stadium.
“We do things a little bit differently for football because it is so popular,” said Abelhouzen. “We have assigned seating that also allows us to do tailgating before the games. If people feel really strongly about going to football games, I highly recommend signing up for M.U.S.S. Premium.”
Seating is assigned on a first come, first served basis, so get registered ASAP for better seats. You can sign up for M.U.S.S. Premium, which gives you an individual seat or the ability to request group seating to ensure you’re near your friends during the game.
Registration for the MUSS opened in April and seating is still available. Registration is $60 for the entire 2021-22 athletics sea- son and can be found via Ticketmaster. All you will need is your student ID and a credit card. With six home football games this season, that averages out to $10 pergame. In other words, it is a no-brainer.
What Are the Perks of Joining the M.U.S.S.?
Members of the MUSS receive a reserved seat for each home football game and are invited to attend an exclusive tailgate — complete with free food and prize giveaways — before each home football game. Additionally, M.U.S.S. members get an exclusive M.U.S.S. T-shirt once they sign up for the premium pass.
The M.U.S.S. is much more than simply having guaranteed seating at football games. Membership offers a sense of community for anybody looking to get involved outside of the classroom.
Abelhouzen said of her experience joining the M.U.S.S. in 2018, “We have a passionate and avid student fan base. I’ve met some of my best friends in the M.U.S.S.”
What if you don’t like watching football, you ask?
“It’s about so much more than football,” encourages Abelhouzen, “It’s like a huge social event. One of the biggest events of our campus community is surrounding football games. I’ve never met a student that has regretted purchasing M.U.S.S. Premium.”
How Else Is the M.U.S.S. Involved in the Community?
With the difficulty of 2020 and how disconnected some people have felt, the M.U.S.S. is trying to help bring the community back together in other ways, outside of the stadium.
“We still want it to revolve around athletics,“ Abelhouzen says, “I’ve been planning some events with new men’s basketball head coach Craig Smith and the basketball team this fall. Also, since the BYU game is in Provo this year, we’re going to host a watch party on the Student Union lawn. ”
These types of events will create a more casual atmosphere where students can walk around and get to know each other, using the game as a backdrop.
Under Abelhouzen’s leadership, the M.U.S.S. also hopes to add lawn game-type activities around campus on move-in day. They are also trying to organize campus-wide service projects where they can work to beautify the campus.
How Can Students Follow the M.U.S.S. for Up-to-Date Information?
“Instagram has a ton of resources and is the best way to get in contact with us, so I highly recommend all students follow us there,” explains Abelhouzen. She went on to say, “While Instagram is the best way to stay connected, our Twitter is mostly just for fun little jabs and such.” Students can find the M.U.S.S. on Instagram @_themuss and on Twitter @TheMUSS.
