Fall intramurals change the game

Dust off the cleats and get your squads together, last year's bragging rights are over and championship T-shirts are back up for grabs. Registration for the intramural season begins this week with a few major changes.

 The team registration process has gone online. Captains are now required to fill out a liability form, which can be picked up at the intramural office or printed off from the intramural website. During the registration period, captains need to log on to the intramural web page and click on registration to select the sport they wish to play. Team registration takes a few simple steps, and to complete the process, team captains will need to turn in the team liability form to the intramural office.

"The new online registration will make the process of registering for an intramural sport easier for both the students and the intramural staff," Assistant Intramural Director Andy Main said. "Instead of waiting outside the intramural office on registration night, captains can now register at their leisure from a computer. It will also reduce the number of errors that often cause frustration throughout the season."

Another major change to intramurals is the scoring policy for coed flag football. Any play that involves a female either scoring or throwing for a touchdown will now be scored as a nine-point touchdown, instead of the usual six.

The intramural staff believes that this will allow female players to have a bigger role in flag football games and make them more enjoyable for everyone.  

"Intramural sports are all about getting involved and having fun with your friends. We think rules like this one makes it easier for all genders to have fun and feel involved," Main said. "It will also add a whole new and exciting dimension to the game."

Intramurals will kick off the year with Freshman Games. The games are exclusively for freshmen and transfer students living in freshman residence halls. Freshmen are encouraged to put together a team and participate in soccer, flag football, volleyball 6's, and kickball. The Freshman Games are designed to get incoming students involved on campus and give them a break from the stresses brought on by the first month of college.

"Intramurals is the best on-campus activity because it is a great release from the academic side," Intramural Supervisor Justin Kautz said. "Students can relax their brains for a bit, while participating in sports that they love."

Gonzaga intramurals are ranked 12th in the nation by the Princeton Review with 72 percent participation of the student body.

"Compared to many universities, the student body at Gonzaga is a very passionate, outgoing and involved group," Main said. "Intramural sports satisfies all of those characteristics and in addition, the program is set up in a way that allows all students to participate, regardless of their ability level or scheduling constraints."

Junior Tyler Seth participates in every team sport offered by intramurals.

"It is fun to get out there and compete against your peers in organized leagues. Also, how could I pass up a year of bragging rights and the biggest sought after thing on campus, a championship shirt?" Seth said.

Students are able to choose among four leagues depending on the level of skill. Teams playing in the most competitive A league can expect intense competition against experienced players of all grades including the infamous law school team that prides itself on off-season practices and playbooks. Students just looking to have a good time can choose less competitive leagues that suit their team's skill level. Students are also able to form coed leagues that are broken up into different leagues based on skill.

"Other universities may have more funding or a bigger student body but they don't do everything they can to create a program that is convenient for everyone," Main said.