All is not harmonious at Mission College, where amid the usual buzz of activity surrounding homecoming, rivalries are growing more intense. Socially conscious "Dap" Dunlap (Laurence Fishburne) and his buddies intend to shake up homecoming with a high-profile political action, while Julian "Big Brother Almighty" Eaves (Giancarlo Esposito) and his Gamma Phi Gamma brothers seek to foil their plans. The story is further complicated when Dap's cousin, Half-Pint (Spike Lee), decides to cross over to "Gamma" land. Julian's steady (Tisha Campbell) leads the Gamma Rays, light-skinned girls whose loyalty to the Gammas is matched only by their desire to keep down the progressive, ebony-hued group of coeds led by Dap's girlfriend (Kyme). Romance, rituals and rivalries erupt in a riot of music, dance and decision during one fateful weekend.