Who Runs the Yard? The National Pan-Hellenic Council Hosts the 2026 Yard Show

The Theta Alpha Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Inc. accepting their award. Photo by Habiba Affo

Northwestern’s National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) brought canes, whistles and barbies to Kahn Pavillion to find out who “runs the yard.”

“There can only be one head frat in the yard,” the men of Alpha Mu, Northwestern’s Alpha Phi Alpha Chapter said. 

The yard show was hosted Tuesday evening in support of Greater Chicago Food Depository, and attendees were encouraged to donate goods to the canned food drive. Each participating sorority and fraternity performed routines with variations of steps, strolls and skits to an audience of students and alumni. Harry Smith, a member of the Alpha Mu chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., said the yard show is an important opportunity to display “culture and vibrance.”

“Northwestern is a predominantly White institution, and then you have all of these beautiful Black students showing off their organizations,” Smith said. 

The show kicked off with the Alpha Mu chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Inc. walking on stage fully dressed in black. While showing the audience how they like to “get down”, one of the men playfully collapsed. He was brought back to life by Real Boston Richey’s “Help Me.” The men of Alpha Mu ended their set by performing a stroll to “Who You With” by Lil Jon and The Eastside Boyz.

After their performance, the Gamma Chi chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. walked on stage. The chapter returned to Northwestern in Fall 2025, making this their first yard show. The women, dressed as Barbie dolls, said that they are the first NPHC sorority–and “finest”–as they performed to “Flawless” by Beyonce. 

“When you see us tighten up,” the women said, “And show some respect.”

Northwestern was first introduced to the NPHC in 1917 when Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. chartered the “Terrible” Theta Chapter. Over a century later, seven of the “Divine Nine” NPHC organizations are active at Northwestern, with 70 members across the board. Morgan Sperry, financial secretary of the Theta Alpha chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., said Northwestern’s Divine Nine (D9) chapters were much bigger in the 1970s and ‘80s when more Black students came “straight from Chicago.” 

“One line in 1973 had 23 people,” Sperry said. 

This was a result of Northwestern University’s Chicago Action Project which began in 1965 to recruit Black students from Chicago Public Schools, according to Northwestern’s Program of African Studies. However, when Northwestern’s Black students started to come from high schools with smaller Black populations, Sperry said interest in the D9 dropped. 

“They just don't feel, like, as connected to the black community as someone who went and grew up in a public school that had a majority black population, maybe saw Greek life, like,  through their teachers,” Sperry said. 

However, the D9 at Northwestern is growing. Bryce Nivet, the Basileus of the Psi Sigma chapter Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc., said the yard show is an opportunity to increase visibility and showcase growth. Nivet’s fraternity entered the competition wearing disco-themed satin purple shirts and Afro wigs. 

“They came to see us hop,” the men of the Psi Sigma Chapter said during their performance.

Between hopping for the crowd, the men performed a skit inspired by the “Maury Show.” In the skit, one of the men went on a talk show to find out if the child he was raising was actually his. The atmosphere grew tense as the audience waited to hear the verdict. Maury, played by Nivet, finally declared the man “not the father”, eliciting a gasp from the audience. 

Once the Psi Sigma chapter hopped off the stage, the “Tantalizing” women of the Theta Alpha chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. marched on. The women came dressed as cheerleaders and split into two “Bring It On” themed groups: the Deltas and the Divas. They competed in a cheer battle, before coming together to perform stunts and a step routine. 

As the day turned to night, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. entered the competition. The fraternity was represented by four men from Chicago State University. Afterwards, the Nu Sigma chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. performed on stage, displaying “finer” womanhood. 

After seven fraternities and sororities performed their routines, the judges announced who really “runs the yard.” The Psi Sigma chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. was declared the winner among the fraternities, and the Theta Alpha chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. was the winner among the sororities.