From volleyball to battleship: A guide to Campus Recreation's intramural sports

At UNC, also known as the University of National Champions, sports are a big deal. But enjoying the athletic atmosphere at UNC does not start and end with attending basketball and football games. 

More than 6,000 Tar Heel students, faculty and staff compete on intramural sports teams throughout the year to stay active and have fun. Check out this guide to navigating intramural sports for this upcoming year.

What are intramural sports?

Intramural sports are recreational activities played at UNC that only involve participants from campus. UNC Campus Recreation offers a variety of sports and events, from volleyball and flag football to goalball and battleship.

Intramurals are made for students who have never tried a certain sport and those who need to scratch that competitive itch from prior playing days.

In addition to intramural sports, Campus Recreation offers students the chance to play in sport clubs. These are completely student-run through student-funded organizations recognized by the University. 

Sports clubs typically happen year-round with the opportunity to compete in intercollegiate competitions on the local, regional and national scale. 

On the other hand, intramural sports are short-term and take place in a more relaxed environment. For some sports, there are two divisions, competitive and recreational, based on levels of competition.

Intramurals are a great way to exercise while meeting new people in a fun yet competitive atmosphere. These sports give students the chance to take a break from Davis Library and go to Hooker Fields or Fetzer Gym to blow off some steam and run around with their friends. 

Making memories is nice, but likely the best part of intramurals is earning the highly-coveted UNC Intramural Champions T-shirt with a student's squad.

How do I get involved?

On Campus Recreation's website, UNC students can access a portal to IMLeagues to sign up for teams using their Onyen and password. Once in the portal, there are three ways to become a member of an intramural sports team at UNC:

The first and easiest way to become involved with intramural sports is to start your team. You can grab a few of your friends or classmates to collect enough numbers to qualify. Various student organizations like community service teams, social justice groups and fraternities and sororities form squads, as well. 

The most important thing to remember when creating a team is to register as early as possible. The deadline to submit your team varies for each sport, and most of the spots fill up quickly. 

The second way to become involved is to join an existing team. If your friends, roommates or fellow members in student organizations already made a team, you can request to become part of that existing group. 

The third method is to join as a free agent. If you need to find a team, you can classify yourself as a free agent for any sport. All members on the intramural website will see your name and can request to add you to their team, or you can request to join their team. 

Intramural sports will begin during the first week of school, so checking out registration dates during that period will be students best shot at earning that coveted championship T-shirt.

@meganosmithh

@dthsports | sports@dailytarheel.com