In spite of COVID-19, intramural sports continue to give students something fun to do while on campus. However, that does not mean that they will remain the same as previous years.
Typically for intramural fall sports, there would be football, soccer, beach volleyball and dodgeball, but not this year due to maintaining a COVID-free environment and eliminating any chance of a possible outbreak across campus from nonessential contact.
Even with those sports being canceled, there are still options for students who are interested in getting involved in intramural activities. According to the director of Jones College’s intramural sports program, Brooks Buffington, the majority of the events that are planned will be virtual this semester. ESports now fill the void that is left by cancelled contact sports.
There will be a few events that are not virtual and involve face-to-face interaction, but they will still be safe for student participation as Buffington and his staff are taking the proper safety precautions for students.
“Of the sports that are not virtual, we will have a sanitation station set up, and we have access to all the cleaning supplies that are needed including an electronic mister. We are following all school COVID-19 procedures…,” said Buffington.
The scheduling for the events has also changed from previous years. Usually, there would be two set dates for intramural events, but with the introduction of eSports, the duration of the events will expand.
“We have at least one ongoing activity each week and typically two different events going at the same time… everything is mostly virtual so they will last a longer duration of time, typically 10 days, rather than them being on just one set date,” Buffington said.
The current activities that are still available for registration are men’s and women’s tennis singles and NFL pick’em. Upcoming activities will consist of Super Smash Brothers, Home Run Derby, FIFA (eSports) and Cornhole.
by Johnathan Richardson
