More than 3,000 playing intramural sports this semester

Coed intramural beach volleyball continues to be a spring favorite among Liberty University students.

Liberty University’s Intramural Sports program is continuing to experience tremendous growth as 3,197 students have signed up to participate this semester in a variety of sports.

There are currently 354 teams competing in the program, which offers 20 different sports, including softball, dodge ball, and tennis, as well as billiards, flag football, and table tennis. During peak competition times, there are about 19 intramural games being played per hour across campus, with an average of about 325 games per week. Students playing broomball and beach volleyball also have the chance to play on coed teams.

The most popular intramural sports are basketball (1,304 participants), indoor soccer (879), coed volleyball (776), and broomball (658). Outdoor soccer, disc golf, and beach volleyball are also student favorites.

“I believe almost all students would tell you they play intramural sports for the competition, the exercise, and for the fellowship,” said Ed Barnhouse, director of Intramural Sports. “Many participants are former high school athletes, and they use intramural sports as a way to extend their enjoyment of playing the sports they love.”

He added that he anticipates that the program will continue to experience record growth.

Liberty has invested heavily in world-class athletic and recreational facilities used by intramural teams. Projects have included an expansion of the LaHaye Student Union, construction of the Liberty Mountain Intramural Complex with lighted turf fields and sand volleyball courts, and the development of the East Campus Athletic Complex, which includes fields used for lacrosse, field hockey, and intramural soccer. Liberty’s Thomas Indoor Soccer Center and LaHaye Ice Center, which is currently under reconstruction, are also widely used.

The program gives many of Liberty’s NCAA athletes an off-season source of competition. It also employs 100 student workers who supervise, referee, umpire, and keep scores and statistics. These positions help many students offset the cost of their tuition.

In 2013, Bestcolleges.com, a website that helps people choose a place of higher education, rated Liberty’s Intramural Sports program as a top contender against other schools.

“Most schools only offer around a dozen sports for students, but we have more than 20,” Barnhouse said. “Our goal is to have students playing at least two games a week. Whereas at other schools, they do not have as many facilities so students do not have as much play times a semester.”

Students interested in playing on one of the teams in the program can register on the Intramural Sports website.