Being a Division I Athlete in a Fraternity

[33girl]

You HAVE to get initiated at some point. They may be willing (depending on the size of your pledge class) to schedule it around your games or else to hold a special initiation for you. If you're confusing "initiation" with "pledging activities" - initiation is only one night.

As for whether a fraternity would give you a bid, it all depends. Some take athletes for the prestige and are willing to cut them some slack. Some won't and demand that they meet exactly the same requirements as other pledges. There's no way to know unless you try. If you mention that you'll be gone for this, that, and the other thing because of your team, and the fraternity member you're talking to gets a displeased look on his face, that group is probably not for you. You might (subtly) ask your friends if they know the different fraternities' stances on this subject.

Re the anti-Greek teammates: if they're your friends, they'll support you in whatever you want to do. If they don't, they're assholes and not really your friends at all. From what you say, they sound very cliquish and self-limiting, and that's the last thing anyone needs in college - unless you're all going to join the same pro team when you graduate (very unlikely).