Our UB Traditions

Students travel thousands of miles to attend UB for more than the academic opportunities. They also seek out UB for experiences they’ll remember long after they graduate. You’ll see this when you get here.

Maybe it will happen the first time you dip your toes into the mud at Oozefest—one of the nation’s largest collegiate mud volleyball tournaments—or when you cheer the Bulls football team on to victory at True Blue Days. UB has many unique traditions that forge lasting connections and memories.

On this page:

Interlocking UB

Zoom image: Hundreds of students begin to form a human UB logo at the UB stadium. Hundreds of students begin to form a human UB logo at the UB stadium.

What better way to show your UB spirit than by joining hundreds of your classmates to form the interlocking UB logo? It’s an event that happens annually as part of Welcome Weekend and New Student Orientation. It puts the “you” in UB.

Watch a tradition take shape

UB’s Homecoming and Family Weekend

UB Cheerleader and her parents.

Students, faculty and alumni gather every fall for UB’s homecoming celebration, the region’s biggest collegiate party of the year. Homecoming features four days of fun-filled activities, including alumni reunions, food, live music, a carnival and a nighttime bonfire. The annual homecoming football game fills UB Stadium, where more than 25,000 people cheer the Bulls on to victory!

Feel the True Blue spirit

Oozefest

Students playing in a mud pit.

It’s OK to get a little dirty every once in a while. That’s what more than 1,500 UB students, alumni and volunteers do every spring at Oozefest, one of the nation’s largest collegiate mud volleyball tournaments. It is one of UB’s most beloved traditions and continues to grow in popularity each year.

Learn how mud became fun

International Fiesta

Artists dancing on stage.

Colors fly, music booms and bodies whirl at UB’s International Fiesta. Hosted by the Student Association (SA), it is one of the most anticipated events in the UB calendar. Our student clubs spend months rehearsing music and dance performances that showcase the beauty and excitement of their cultures.

A festival for every season

Students enjoy free concert at Fall Fest.

When you live in a region that has four distinct seasons, why not have a festival for each one? Listen to some of the most recognized artists in popular music during the SA-hosted Fall Fest and Springfest. Enjoy our beautiful green spaces during the UB on the Green summer concert series.

Cultural bazaars

Students in aprons preparing food at a cultural cooking event.

Taste the foods—yum!—and celebrate the customs and traditions of your classmates at each of the five cultural bazaars coordinated throughout the year. We have cultural bazaars for Latino, LGBTQ+, Native American, African and Asian students who work together to showcase their cultures for both students and the UB community.