Membership

The MUSS is the University of Utah's student fan club for football and men's basketball, volleyball and gymnastics. Established in 2002, The MUSS has become the most popular student section in the Mountain West Conference. In 2004, it was named one of the Top Five Student Sections in the country by ESPN.

The MUSS provides an exciting and memorable experience at football and basketball games. Students who join The MUSS will develop a bond between other students on campus and also with the athletics teams. We also hope that MUSS members will become lifelong University of Utah fans!

Register for The MUSS! | FAQ’s | MUSS Traditions | MUSS-Read Newsletter | Photo Gallery | U of U Fight Song | Conduct Policy

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1: What is The MUSS? – The MUSS is the University of Utah’s student fan club for football and men’s basketball, volleyball and gymnastics.

2: Why should I join The MUSS? – The MUSS gives you opportunities at athletics events that you normally wouldn’t receive. As a member of the football MUSS you receive a reserved seat for each home football game. As a member of the basketball MUSS you receive priority seating for certain basketball games.

MUSS members receive a one-of-a-kind MUSS T-shirt.

Football MUSS members are invited to attend a tailgate before each home football game. The tailgates include free food and prize giveaways. Football MUSS members are also given the opportunity to travel to an away game for a discounted price.

Basketball MUSS members are invited to attend pre-game parties before selected home basketball games. The pre-game parties include free food, prize giveaways, and a chalk talk by a basketball coach.

3: What does The MUSS stand for? – The MUSS is a word taken from the school song. The official definition of muss is a state of disorder, confusion or chaos.

The MUSS has also been termed the “Mighty Utah Student Section.”

4: Who can join The MUSS? – You must be a University of Utah student to join The MUSS. MUSS members are given the option to register nonstudent guests.

5: How do guest passes work? – Guests can be nonstudents, family members, friends, etc. All MUSS members, and their guests, will receive a seating assignment in the MUSS section. This assignment will stay the same all season.

To enter Rice-Eccles Stadium or the Huntsman Center, you must present either your student ID card (which will be scanned) or a guest pass. Therefore, if you are not a student you will need to present a guest pass to get you into the stadium.

For football, the guest passes are included in the $90 guest MUSS membership and guests will receive all their guest passes at the beginning of the season. For basketball, guests must purchase a $7 guest pass before they enter the Huntsman Center.

MUSS guests are allowed to sit in the MUSS section; the guest pass is a sticker placed on the game ticket. (FYI: If you are not enrolled in classes, your student ID will not work at the gates of the stadium.)

6: Why do my guests need guest passes? – As a University of Utah student you pay athletics fees in your tuition; those fees allow you to attend U of U athletics events at no additional charge. Since your guests are not students, and don’t pay the athletics fees, they need to pay to enter the athletics events.

7: How many guests am I allowed to have?

Football: Each MUSS member is allowed to register one guest (for an additional $85) and receive priority seating. MUSS members may register up to three guests, but members with more than one guest will be placed in the upper bowl section of The MUSS.

*If a MUSS member with more than one guest CREATES a group, the entire group will be placed in the upper bowl.

*If a MUSS member with more than one guest JOINS a group, they will be removed from that group and seated in the upper bowl.

This policy is a way to ensure that more U of U students are getting the best possible seats in The MUSS.

Basketball: Each MUSS member is allowed one guest for an additional $15.

8: How are seating assignments determined?

Football: The MUSS seating assignments are based on when you register for The MUSS. The sooner you register, the better seats you will receive.

If you create or join a group, the average registration time of the group will determine where you are seated. If your entire group registers on the first night, you will have a better chance of good seats. If a member of your group registers late, it will push your entire group back in the seating chart.

Basketball: The basketball MUSS is general admission, so there is no seating chart.

Traditions

MUSS TRADITIONS – Football

Offense: When the Utes are playing offense, The MUSS is very quiet! We want our team to focus on the game and not be distracted.

Defense: When the Utes are playing defense, be as loud as possible!!!!! We want to confuse the opposing team and make their members lose concentration.

3rd Down Jump
When the opposing team is on a third down, The MUSS jumps around and makes as much noise as possible. The goal is to make the opposing team false start multiple times throughout the game!

1st Down Chant
When the Utes make a first down, all MUSS members raise their hands in unison and yell “First down!” When yelling “First down,” point your arm in the direction of the first down, mimicking the action of the referee.

U of U chop
When the band plays a distinct percussion song, all MUSS members form a ‘U’ with their hands and “chop” along with the music.

To form the U, bend your middle and ring fingers and hold them with your thumb.  Your pointer finger and pinkie finger should still be straight.

False Start Tally
Whenever the opposing team receives a false start penalty The MUSS will hang a 'five' in front of the student section indicating the five-yard penalty. There will be a running total for the entire season and a line of “fives” will be in front of The MUSS section.

MUSS Tailgates
Before every home football game, The MUSS holds a tailgate on the field just north of the Eccles Tennis Center (located on Guardsman Way). Free food is provided to all MUSS members.

There is a raffle at every tailgate for two sideline passes. The winners of these passes get to stand on the sidelines during an entire football game.

Singing “Utah Man”
After the Utes score a touchdown or a field goal, the band will play the school fight song, “Utah Man.” All MUSS members need to sing along!!

*If you don’t know the fight song, click here to learn it*

MUSS/Player Interaction
After the game is over, the players and coaches will gather in front of The MUSS and sing the school fight song, “Utah Man.”

The players will also come over to high-five MUSS members after the game before heading to the locker room.

MUSS TRADITIONS – Basketball

Throw Up your "U"
When Utah is making a free throw you place your thumbs together and extend your pointer finger – this makes the shape of a ‘U’

When a free throw is made you ‘stomp, stomp, clap, clap’ and chant “UTES”

BUTTER
When Utah is on offense and the shot clock gets to 10 seconds, everyone yell “BUTTER.” This is a word of warning for the low shot clock.

Jimmy Jump
When the Utes make a 3-point shot jump and yell until the Utes get the ball back.

Turnover
When the opposing team has a turnover yell “TURNOVER” four times.

Other Athletics Traditions

Sports on Campus Swoop Football Tailgate Utah/BYU Football Game Utah/BYU Men’s Basketball Game

Women’s Volleyball Women’s Gymnastics Men’s Rugby Utah Athletics

UTAH MAN

VERSE	I am a Utah man, sir, and I live across the green. Our gang, it is the jolliest that you have ever seen.Our coeds are the fairest and each one’s a shining star. Our yell, you hear it ringing through the mountains near and far.
CHORUS	Who am I, sir? A Utah Man am I. A Utah Man, sir, and will be 'til I die; Ki-yi! We’re up to snuff; we never bluff, we’re game for any fuss, no other gang of college men dare meet us in the muss. So fill your lungs and sing it out and shout it to the sky, we’ll fight for dear old Crimson, for a Utah Man am I.
VERSE	And when we prom the avenue, all lined up in a row, and arm in arm and step in time as down the street we go. No matter if a freshman green, or in a senior’s gown, the people all admit we are the warmest gang in town.
CHORUS	(same)
VERSE	We may not live forever on this jolly good old sphere, but while we do we’ll live a life of merriment and cheer. And when our college days are o’er and night is drawing nigh, with parting breath we’ll sing that song: "A Utah Man Am I."
	GO UTES!

MUSS SPORTSMANSHIP AND FAN CONDUCT POLICY

The MUSS and the overall Utah student section will have a record number of fans for the 2009 football season. The interest in Utah football this season is unsurpassed in school history.

However, increased attendance means the potential for increased problems.

Each year, The MUSS board receives reports concerning some MUSS members’ behavior. Like any other fan in Rice-Eccles Stadium, MUSS members deserve to enjoy cheering on the Utes without other fans spoiling the experience. The reports usually fall into three categories, some of which are more prevalent than others:

1)         Fans occupying seats that are not theirs.
2)         Fans using obscene and/or vulgar language.
3)         Intoxicated fans.

All of the above are against Rice-Eccles Stadium policies for all fans, not just MUSS members. To help discourage these behaviors, stadium staff has implemented a Fan Phone where you can report incidents and have ushers or security come deal with the problem. You can send a text message to (801) 784-UFAN (8326) to report the problem. Rice-Eccles Stadium staff and The MUSS board suggest that you either text the Fan Phone or contact an usher or CMG security guard, rather than have the problem persist or escalate. The CMG security people wear orange shirts or, if it’s raining, black jackets with orange sleeves.

Again, these policies apply to ALL fans in Rice-Eccles Stadium, not only MUSS members:

**First, please stay in your assigned seat. It would be great to give every MUSS member a place on the front rows, but that’s not possible.

Every fan in the stadium has an assigned seat location; no general admission exists. Some MUSS members might feel that their safety is endangered during games due to the overcrowded rows.

CMG personnel have been instructed to solve seating problems by sending fans to their proper seats. The CMG security people wear orange shirts or, if it’s raining, black jackets with orange sleeves.

**Second, alcoholic beverages are NOT permitted in Rice-Eccles Stadium. The back of every game ticket states the following: “It is agreed there will be no alcoholic beverages, coolers, ice chests, cans or bottles in Rice-Eccles Stadium… I will comply with applicable state law and University regulations.”

Fans violating this policy will be escorted from their seats and may face other penalties. Even if a fan is of legal age, alcohol is not permitted in the stadium. This is a zero-tolerance issue for the stadium.

The MUSS board understands that many MUSS members are of legal age and may choose to responsibly consume alcohol before the game. However, just like any other fan in Rice-Eccles Stadium, MUSS members do not have to tolerate anyone who is publicly intoxicated or anyone who is consuming alcohol in the stadium.

Alcohol at football games is a national problem, not just a University of Utah issue. More and more universities nationwide are completely banning alcohol from stadiums and aggressively prosecuting fans violating the policy.

Anyone witnessing alcohol consumption or public intoxication in The MUSS section is encouraged to use the Fan Phone–text (801) 784-UFAN (8326)–or contact a CMG security person. The CMG security people wear orange shirts or, if it’s raining, black jackets with orange sleeves. CMG has been instructed to remove any fan violating the policy, without exception.

**Finally, the use of profanity and inappropriate language is not allowed. The stadium, Mountain West Conference, and the University all have policies regarding slurs, profanity, and other inappropriate language. Again, by using your ticket to enter the game, you are agreeing to comply with these policies.

Just like with intoxicated fans, no fan in The MUSS or elsewhere in the stadium needs to put up with inappropriate language.

To report an issue, text the Fan Phone at (801) 784-UFAN (8326), or contact an usher or CMG security guard. The CMG security people wear orange shirts or, if it’s raining, black jackets with orange sleeves.

Let’s keep The MUSS a great place to support the Utes!