By Steve Holt, Sports Writer
It’s coming sooner than you think.
The time is quickly approaching for ACU students to procrastinate doing homework and flock to the intramural fields either to watch or play the many fall sports offered. Intramural director Danny Kittley said the details of the season will be the same as last year’s.
Flag football, tennis, 3-on-3 basketball and 5-on-5 basketball will again be offered to teams of students this fall, and Kittley said a freshman league in each sport will again be offered for interested students.
The freshman league was immensely popular in its first season last fall, as about 20 teams participated.
Kittley said the league’s success went beyond the numbers of students who participated.
“They could get introduced into flag football season freshman year,” Kittley said. “You don’t know the rules yet, you don’t know a lot of things, so our freshman league was important to generate an even playing field between each other-more competition.”
Flag football season will begin Sept. 16, and each team must be registered by Sept. 12 in order to participate.
Kittley said flag football is easily ACU’s most popular intramural sport.
“Football is the first and biggest thing we do,” he said. “Last year we had 1,200 students who played flag football. It’s the biggest sport we have by far.”
Flag football teams will again have the opportunity to play in either the Rec League or Championship League, and social club pledges will make up a separate Pledge League.
“There are levels of competition, so you find your niche by how serious you are about it,” Kittley said. “The clubs are tough. When they get together, it’s everything to ’em. So that’s our big deal.”
Kittley said it is near impossible to predict who will be the club champion in flag football.
“To give a prediction on the clubs-you just can’t do it,” Kittley said. “Galaxy’s tough every year-Sub-T, GSP, Frats are all tough. It could be anybody. Girls clubs-same way.”
The Taylor Elementary athletic field will be available this fall and next spring for intramural and club soccer, Kittley said. Soccer was canceled last fall and spring because the fields were too dry and hard, and Kittley feared that injuries would increase if they played. He said the field will be used as a “soccer complex,” and the grass has gotten thick and green enough to play on.
Kittley said he wants anyone who is interested to be able to play intramural athletics.
“We think it’s good for exercise; we think it’s good for social life; we think it’s good just to get out and play-it relieves your tension from being in class,” he said. “Intramurals are fun.”
