It’s that time of year for so-called “friendly” competition between Loyola students, where the people who invented the fundamentals of football roll in their graves.
And of course, it’s that time of year to feel like you are in the NFL or to just laugh at people who think it’s the NFL.
Intramural football, volleyball and soccer are back for the fall semester after a year-long hiatus. Sign-ups were earlier this week.
Intramurals offers playing levels for everybody: competitive, recreational, co-ed and women’s leagues. Competitive leagues usually consist of a law school, fraternity ‘A’ teams, other ambitious teams and various senior teams.
The champions from two years ago were named Notre Dame … Seminary, that is.
The Rec League, judging by last season, features teams or organizations – some floor teams-and people that members might see at the local bar two hours after the game.
Intramural director Zach Bracey thinks that intramurals is an integral part of the college scene.
“It brings students together,” Bracey said. “It’s a good place to meet other students and get to know them. Relative to the student population we have here, the intramural program is a huge success.”
The games’ intensity varies, from some being tightly competitive, to others being lopsided. Intramurals features various atmospheres: fraternity throwdowns, close games, large crowds for sorority games, arguing with the refs, seven-interception games, bragging rights and upsets when freshmen beat seniors.
Intramurals also offers volleyball in the Rec Plex. Levels of play include a men’s league, women’s league and a co-ed league. Loyola has even sent a team to the a state tournament before, where they finished runner-up. Intramural volleyball goes at a much different pace than college volleyball, because routine bumps, sets, spikes are rare happenings in a typical game.
Most teams will get four or five games during the season, with playoffs tacked on at the end. Bracey explains the state of intramurals for this semester after flag football, volleyball and soccer weren’t played last fall: “We have new field space at the old Wolfpack Fields (in Audubon Park), and I think intramurals will be even bigger because students are looking for things to do outside the classroom.”
Intramural veterans offer the following tips to help cement either a successful flag football or volleyball franchise: Make sure your quarterback is fast; show up on time to avoid forfeiting games and a forfeit fine; and, finally, have fun.
Harold Kuntz can be reached at [email protected].
