On Saturday, Oct. 26, the John Brown University Golden Eagles defeated the Barclay Bears 87-53 in the 41st edition of the legendary JBU Toilet Paper game, opening the men’s basketball season with a victory. The win improved the Golden Eagles’ record in the TP game to 40-1, extending their winning streak for the TP game to 23 straight.

This year’s contest was also the first on a Saturday since 2019. JBU junior transfer LePra George scored the first basket of the season 1 minute and 16 seconds into the game, causing one of the most famous technical fouls in college sports: every spectator hurling a roll of toilet paper onto the court in unison.

The TP Game tradition began in 1984 with students sneaking toilet paper into the games and being punished before faculty began to embrace the tradition around the 2000s, realizing it was one of the school’s most beloved events and shifting from admonishing it to championing it.

“It dawned on John Brown administrators that the TP Game was one of their most cherished traditions, so they went from barely tolerating it to fully endorsing it almost overnight,” Jeff Eisenberg wrote.

The game has received more national recognition over time as well, featuring on Sports Center and an ESPN commercial released shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic began.

The Golden Eagles went on to dominate the contest, particularly in the second half, opening the contest with a 14-2 run and putting the game away. For many students, though, the most exciting part of the game is the first basket and the ensuing madness.

“My favorite moment was right after you throw the toilet paper, and you would go onto the basketball court and still try to keep throwing it in the air and try to wrap yourself in toilet paper and taking pictures,” freshman student Kiyoshi Tadano said.

The game serves as an introduction and a chance to own and embrace JBU tradition and culture for freshmen and other first-year students.

“Being a part of throwing up toilet paper first was a crazy experience, especially as a freshman. You’ve never seen that before, but you’ve only seen it on the news, in the media. And so being a part of it was just being in the moment that you’ve been watching and seeing in the news of JBU for the past year,” Tadano said.

Not only that, but it serves as a chance to connect JBU students with family and alumni who often return to campus for the game. It also provides sponsorships and community engagement between community members and the school.

“The TP game showcases the many different talents of our student body and provides a way to connect the Siloam Springs community with the college to maintain a good relationship. The beauty of sports is that they can bring a community together, and throwing toilet paper on a basketball court is a great way to do that,” junior student Luke Dishman said.

Over the years, students have come up with more and more creative ways to dress in the spirit of the TP game. Nearly all the students are dressed in JBU gear, with many adorning the official Toilet Paper Game shirt. Additionally, some students wrap toilet paper around their heads as a bandana and will try to collect as much TP as possible once on the court. However, the most unique costume this year was worn by two junior students, Luke Dishman and Baker Loften, who dressed as life-sized toilet paper rolls.

“I was having a conversation with Mrs. Bennett, the associate director of the honors college, and she offhandedly mentioned that a while back ago, people had dressed up like toilet paper. I thought that was awesome, so I decided to try it, and Baker was willing to do it, too, which helped us go through with it,” Dishman said.

The JBU men’s basketball team will continue their season at the John Brown University Classic against Webber International and Florida College at Bill George Arena on Nov. 8 and 9. View their full regular season schedule here.

Photo Courtesy of Ari Yam