UMass Amherst - Fraternity Recruitment Fall 2024 Spring 2025

[UMD Beta Alum]

Wondered if anyone on the site - might have some insight into Greek Life at UMass Amherst?
Just exploring the idea of expansion.
Two things that I read online that made me wonder:
1) Umass and the Town of Amherst - has some challenging zoning reqs for houses. only a few groups have 'formal' chapter houses. anyone know more about this?
Many public uni's - unfortunately - have a lg emphasis on social.. and new groups often can struggle - since they dont have this. just wondering how lg of an influence is that at Umass.
2) Pi Kappa Alpha - appears to have had a group at Umass. chapter closed.. and Fall 2024 - their national office - started a formal expansion.
from another greek conversation website - it is stated their new group - started off w 120 men...
Kudos to Pike!
that is larger then any existing group.. and the type of numbers u see at some of the largest and strongest Greek systems in the USA (Bama, Ole Miss, FSU, etc...)
So just wondering if anyone - Pike alums etc.. might have an insight into this..? was it because of their history and past presence? a house somewhere they may return to? or just plain old hard work?

Just wondering - since I live in metro Boston - and it's the closest public school to me.. and wondering if it's a school - I should suggest to my HQ to look more into?

I believe AEPi is scheduled to expand their this Spring 2025.

[XAntoftheSkyX]

Hey there, UMass alum here!

So the relationship with Amherst and UMass has always been tenuous, but some of that has been exacerbated by Greek Life in the past.

A lot of what I experienced as an active in the late 2000s was paying for the sins of our fathers. From what I remember, housing with the University is a closed system. Only current buildings that are lettered can be used for official GLO housing. If an Org sells their house, another can buy it and then hang their letters on it, but there won't be any more new houses on campus.

There are of course unofficial houses in the area, and there is a bit of comradery on that where the GLOs are generally in the same area.

Pike I have no idea about their growth and expansion, but I would assume it was based on their former size and influence on campus in the IFC. 120 is extremely large for UMass, so I could see that as 120 bids or new members, but the actual initiated roster could be much lower. If it is 120 strong initiates then good for them.