Ohio State sports fraternity reaches 91 members

Mu Sigma Lambda, a professional fraternity focused on the sports industry, now has 91 members at Ohio State University. The chapter added 35 students following a recruitment cycle that concluded this fall. The organization started on campus in January 2025 and remains open to students from any major, not just those studying sports.

Ilana Rubenstein, the chapter’s founding president, brought the idea to Ohio State after seeing friends join the University of Michigan chapter. She said she wanted to create a professional culture centered on the sports industry. Since then, the group has grown through four semesters of activity.

Sofia Bazley, the recruitment director, said 69 students expressed interest in joining this semester. A selection committee, which includes executive members and the recruitment team, reviewed the applications. They met in July to plan the recruitment timeline and strategies for increasing involvement, including a social media campaign led by marketing director Kelsee Ortiz.

The selection process required candidates to complete three rounds. The first was a “meet the chapter” round with a one-week application window. The second was a “project round” featuring real-life scenarios and a group event. The final round consisted of interviews with current members. A deliberation session followed each round. The committee evaluated candidates for leadership during the project round.

New members must meet specific standards to remain in the fraternity. According to chapter secretary Ella Shmarak, members must maintain a 3.0 GPA and earn 16 points per semester. Points are awarded for attending events: off-campus events count for six points, on-campus events for four, and online events for two. The chapter also holds one event per month, such as social gatherings or fundraisers.

In the beginning, the chapter faced logistical hurdles. Last semester, the group did not have a designated meeting space or official funding while the university processed their recognition. Leaders distributed flyers at the involvement fair to build awareness. Rubenstein described the chapter as her “pride and joy” and said the effort to establish the organization was difficult.

Bid day marks the moment when selected students receive a formal invitation to join. Recruitment committee members knock on classroom or dorm doors to surprise the new members. Rubenstein was studying abroad in Florence when bid day occurred in February. She received a FaceTime call, and new members passed the phone around to share their excitement. “Seeing it all come together when I was away gave me hope for the future,” Rubenstein said.

Shmarak noted that the growth is visible in daily campus life. She described a recent class where an entire row of chairs was filled with Mu Sigma Lambda members. “This is crazy how a frat we watched form from the ground up has led to something like this,” Shmarak said.