While the UA boasts one of the top athletic programs in the nation, the intramural culture that the school has created for its students often gets left in the shadows.

The school offers a number of different sports for its students to take part in, ranging from traditional sports such as basketball and tennis, to the more unique games you can only find in intramurals like battleship and Spikeball.

With Division I athletics undoubtedly difficult to reach for the average person, intramurals allow students to play the sport they’re passionate about, but were unable to master at a competitive, collegiate level.

More importantly, students have the opportunity to have fun in a safe and social setting each week while staying physically fit at the same time.

“I think students get a chance to meet friends, a stress relief from their studies, an alcohol free opportunity to have fun at night and a scheduled time each week for physical activity,” said Matt Macer, the school’s intramural sports coordinator.

Macer also noted how intramurals still feature sports for students to be competitive in such as basketball, flag football and soccer, but made clear that recreational purposes are still the key priority.

“I actually believe that the competition has decreased as the popularity has increased,” Macer said. “People have utilized intramural sports as an opportunity to socialize and have more fun than to be competitive.”

Also, students who participate in intramurals are getting access to some of the state-of-the-art facilities the university has to offer, such as the turf field behind Arizona Stadium, tennis courts at Robson Tennis Center and the sand volleyball courts at the Student Recreation Center, among others.

Students are meeting lifelong friends and creating timeless memories through intramurals, all while playing whatever sport they desire.

“Students are hearing stories from parents, siblings and friends talking about how many people they have met and had fun with through the program,” Macer said. “People love to participate in the social sports to have great social stories for their life.”

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