Intramurals

For every high school athlete being recruited by big-time athletic programs, there are dozens of students who like playing sports, but might not want the added pressure or responsibility of playing varsity sports.

Student-athletes should always be students first, and there are more opportunities to compete on the playing field outside of the varsity teams than you might think.

Club and intramural sports on most campuses are mainly student-run, and allow students to compete for fun rather than conference championships. Many schools have offices within their athletic departments that deal exclusively with club and intramural sports programs. Read an athlete’s perspective on club sports.

Club sports are generally open to all members of the campus community (students, staff, faculty) and may actually compete against other clubs teams on other campuses. These groups are more likely to have set practice times (but not as rigorous as varsity sports).

Intramural sports are on-campus competitions or leagues for varied but defined groups within campus (examples include but are not limited to: sororities, fraternities, specific campus departments, etc.) These teams are less likely to practice and play almost strictly for fun.