Story developed by University Communications

I t’s going to be a competitive year!

Georgia College & State University (GCSU) Intramural Sports will field 430 teams competing in 9 different sports at the beginning of this semester.

That’s a GCSU Intramural Sports record for the number of teams competing at one time. With about 1,400 students signed up to play intramural sports heading into the first phase of the semester, roughly one out of every four GCSU students participates in an intramural sport.

“Our participation rate is one of the highest in the country,” said Drew Bruton, associate director of Wellness and Recreation.

As many as 2,200 students will participate in intramural sports by the end of the academic year, Bruton said. That’s about 38% of GCSU’s 5,500 undergraduate students. The national average is closer to 11%, down from 18% in the years before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bruton attributes the jump in participation to students looking for ways to meet people and find their niche.

“Intramural sports offer a social outlet that you’re not going to find anyplace else on campus,” Bruton said. “Students enjoy the programs they are in, and they let the freshman know about it.”

And the increased participation will have an effect on the level of play. Bruton said the greater number of teams allows his office to set the schedule and pair teams based on competitiveness.

“Our goal is for players to have fun,” Bruton said. “We want people to feel welcome and have a good time, even if they’re not the most competitive person.”

Competition in the early fall phase, or season, of the semester has already started and will last through Oct. 6, 2022. During that time, teams and individuals will compete in flag football, softball, indoor soccer, kickball, cornhole, spikeball, kan jam, pickleball and soccer tennis.

And even though the intramural action is already underway, students can join an existing team at any time during the season.

“Intramural sports are something that make Georgia College special and different from other University System of Georgia schools,” Bruton said. “It’s something unique because of our participation rate, the level of competition and the number of teams that compete at Georgia College.”

You can learn more about Intramural Sports, join an existing team or sign up for the next phase of play at imleagues.com/gcsu.