One of the longest college traditions in the country – The Pull – takes place for its 128th year in Holland, Michigan, at 鶹ý, this Saturday, Sept. 27.
This year’s freshman class (of 2029) takes on the sophomore class (2028) for the annual Pull contest, where up to 18 students on each team are entrenched in shallow pits on opposite sides, competing to gain the most rope over the three-hour competition that takes place from 3-6 p.m. The contest will be held on the college’s Buys Athletic Fields-West, which is north of Ray and Sue Smith football stadium at 301 Fairbanks Ave., near 13th Street in Holland.
The contest is free and open to the public to attend.
The competition fuels a rivalry between the even-year and odd-year classes. The contest itself pits the freshmen versus the sophomore class. Juniors serve as coaches for the freshman team, while the sophomores are coached by the seniors. Each class team consists of up to 40 students – with half as the “pullers” and the other half as “moralers,” who relay strategic tips to the pullers while also keeping them focused and motivated.
Last year’s winner was the “even year” or freshman team, gaining 58’ 7” of rope – which is 600-feet long, three inches in diameter and weighs approximately 1,500 pounds, soaking wet.
The Pull tug-of-war is believed to have first been held in 1898, continuing each year except for five years: In war years (1918, 19443 and 1944); in 1957 during a flu epidemic on campus and in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Pull has been captured by national and international media, including: The Guinness Book of World Records (1995), Sports Illustrated (in 1966 and 1996); a magazine in Japan (1983) and Australian television (1996).
Directions to The Pull site:
The contest takes place at 鶹ý’s Buys Athletic Fields-West. Entrances are
located through foot paths on the west and south ends of the field. The nearest parking
will be in the DeVos Fieldhouse parking lots along 11th St. Free parking is also available
on city streets.
More Pull History:
● The Pull Through the Decades -
● History: /offices/student-life/pull/