Intramurals batting their way through pandemic

Though they have not been entirely shut down like our MSU athletics department, MSU Intramural Sports has taken a heavy hit on their typical annual offerings. Intramurals most popular sports -  basketball, volleyball, soccer and flag football - cannot be offered due to the university’s COVID-19 regulations. Right now, intramural only provides a few non-contact outdoor sports for MSU students.

The intramural sports offered follow the guidelines set forth in the University and Recreational Sports & Fitness policies for programming. Allie Bogard, Intramural and Club Sports Coordinator, said, “We will not be offering contact sports or events – ensuring participants are always 6ft apart, wearing masks, etc. What our intramural sports offerings are fall in line with what other programs are doing at various universities around the country.”

One activity that Intramurals is offering over the next few weeks is a cornhole tournament. Currently, there are 18 teams that play weekly on Sundays and Mondays. Each team plays three weeks of “regular season.” A team’s record from those weeks will then place them in the bracket for the tournament at the end of the season. From there, it is single elimination until there is a winner.

Though cornhole is already full, it’s too late to sign up for intramurals. According to Lauren Krivec, a senior studying nutrition dietetics and an employee of MSU Intramurals, “This year we have some unique offerings that are worth checking out, and there are no fees for anything that we are offering. We have room for our punt, pass and kick football competition, kickball, home run derby, and the fitness combine.” Students can sign up on IM leagues (via the MSU website) and create an account. Both Bogard and Krivec recommend following the MSU Intramural Instagram (@MSUintramurals) to get the most recent updates and offerings.

The coronavirus pandemic has had a real effect on MSU Intramurals. According to Krivec, “It is honestly sad, the students miss it and so does the intramural staff.”