Mud Volleyball Tournament canceled as village leaders look to curb drinking at event

Jeff Kolkey, Rockford Register Star
·1 min read

Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful is canceling its annual Mud Volleyball Tournament saying it was unable to reach an agreement with Roscoe officials after concerns were raised over over alcohol consumption at the event.

Generations of family members have participated in the tournament, which has been going since 1981. It typically draws thousands of people each year to Riverside Park in Roscoe to watch about 160 teams compete, said Corinne Sosso, education coordinator for Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful.

"This is a unique event that's a lot of fun and people look forward to it all year long," Sosso said. "It's very sad to us."

More: Tailgating, alcohol use could prompt changes to annual Rockford-area mud volleyball event

But after a crash allegedly involving a drunk driver last year, Roscoe officials wanted to make changes.

Roscoe trustees wanted to see KNIB hire a licensed vendor and keep alcohol sales and consumption confined to a beer tent.

They also sought to relocate the volleyball courts further into the park and away from the parking lot.

Sosso said Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful agreed to all the changes that village officials wanted to implement.

But moving the mud volleyball pits would have come at the expense of the organization. She estimated the cost at more than $10,000, and the organization decided it could not afford it.

The Mud Volleyball Tournament typically generates as much as 15% of the organization's fundraising revenue.

Organizers are hoping to bring the tournament back in 2025. It is not known where it would take place.

Messages left with Roscoe officials seeking comment were not immediately returned.

Jeff Kolkey writes about government, economic development and other issues for the Rockford Register Star. He can be reached at  (815) 987-1374, via email at jkolkey@rrstar.com and on X @jeffkolkey.

This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: After car crash, Roscoe sought changes to Mud Volleyball Tournament