As the intramural fields continue to buzz with activity, the Department of Campus Recreation is preparing to break out the soccer balls.
This will be the second year since the department restructured the game into a playoff system, and student coordinator Nicholas Head, grad student in kinesiology, said there will be more changes this year.
"This will be our second year of doing our new league formation," Head said. "We're going to offer several levels--novice, intermediate and advanced--and students will be able to choose what level works best for them."
Each league will consist of divisions of five teams, each of which will compete for a slot in the playoffs. The novice league will qualify one team, the intermediate league will qualify two and the advanced will qualify three teams to compete for the intramural championship.
"We have had a lot more teams sign up this year than in previous years," said student coordinator Hillary Masdon, sophomore in exercise science. "We are adding in more time slots to adhere to the many teams that were put on a waiting list and even the ones that are still coming in to sign up."
Games will now take place at 6 p.m, 6:30 p.m., 7:15 p.m., 7:45 p.m. and 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
"We will have three fields for co-rec at the end nearest the softball field," Masdon said. "We will then have four fields lined, running the same direction as football. We have discussed the disadvantages to having the fields this way, but are doing our best to find some solutions with the lack of field space."
As always, there will be sorority and fraternity leagues, as well as men's and women's independent leagues. The only official rule change to the game is a required $20 forfeit fee each team will be required to pay.
Masdon said her office is always looking for student referees, and that those interested can sign up in Room 204 of the Student Activities Center.
"It is a great job to have if you're someone looking to have fun and earn some extra money while taking classes," Masdon said.
Staff member Nick Clifton, junior in information systems management, said the number of teams is always rising.
Clifton said this is because of the competitive atmosphere, word-of-mouth among players and the hard work of the staff in continually improving the game.
"Fall intramural soccer always brings a huge turnout each year," Clifton said. "Team slots for soccer currently are full, and teams are being wait-listed now if they come to the (John H. Watson) Fieldhouse and sign up."
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