It began as a dream. When we are young, there is encouragement to pursue dreams, play a sport, master the craft and then from there we either go pro or grow up. For a few college-aged hockey players, however, their dream was one they could not hang up. That’s where a group of guys with a love for the game decided to lace up their skates one more time, and thus, the D4Show was born.
While Liberty University offers a wide range of intramural sports, providing athletes and casual enjoyers a chance to play in a low-pressure environment, there is no official intramural hockey team. Out of a desire to offer a similar opportunity to what other intramurals provide, in spring 2023 a group of guys decided to put together an unofficial intramural hockey league operating out of the LaHaye Ice Center.
The coed program consists of a variety of players, some who previously played for one of Liberty’s Club Sports teams, others who tried out but did not make the cut and even a few who had never picked up a stick in their lives, but decided to learn a new sport.
“It’s absolutely wonderful to see this community of hockey players of all ranges of skills and backgrounds and even seeing like there’s a growing amount of girls in the league,” Jordan Chamberlain the founder and creative director of D4 said. “This has become a very welcoming and accepting space for a lot of people, both who have experience and are just getting into the game.”
While an evaluation skate is hosted each semester to split participants into teams, practically anyone willing to lace up their skates can find their place in the D4 community. The league does not discriminate based on skill level or academic status, but instead welcomes anyone who wishes to share the love of the sport with open arms.
“We have a diverse amount of players in the league who are freshmen in college, seniors, graduate students and then even guys like myself, who are staff members at Liberty University,” Chamberlain said. “But the beauty is we’re all finding that one common ground in the game of hockey that brings us together.”
What started as a program made up of two teams sharing a passion for the sport has evolved into a program with four full rosters of players who participate in a full season, including playoffs, all leading down to a championship game. This is all thoroughly documented online by a media team spearheaded by Chamberlain.
Chamberlain, a former member of the Liberty Division III Hockey team, had a vision to provide a similar media presence to the league that he experienced from his involvement with Club Sports.
“My spark of inspiration from a media perspective was to also take the media experience I was blessed with during my time with Men’s DIII and to provide that experience to guys and girls who may not have ever had an awesome pro-level media experience before,” Chamberlain said.
Almost immediately, this production began to snowball into an asset that not only excited the players but publicized D4 to the community.
“We’ve received tons of positive feedback that our players are loving the increased game day production, social media attention, and growth through our podcast where we host players and fans from around the league on Spotify @thed4show and YouTube @thed4showhockey,” Chamberlain said. “Our Instagram alone is nearing 100,000 views since just being founded this past November.”
The media coverage of D4 also provides a way for student creatives to get more experience in their craft, as well as open doors to students who want to give sports media a shot and need a place to start. Tyler Williams, a current player for D4, joined the media team this semester to get more experience in videography.
“I’ve never had a type of media job … but this was my first kind of big break,” Williams said. “So this is really helping me for my career because I’m trying to be a videographer and I believe this is a good starting point.”
Along with players finding new opportunities with the league’s expansion, some who have been involved since the beginning are finding new ways to market their skills. One of the key members of D4’s recent media success has been Dayne Harter, a current player who serves as the assistant creative director and D4Show host.
Harter noted that the media roles he currently serves in are not something he anticipated at the beginning of his involvement with the program.
“It’s become a bit of a growth opportunity for different people. On top of the sport we love with the community that we love, we get to learn a new skill that’s going to end up being used for down the road,” Harter said.
The expansion of a media presence has allowed for an increase in individualized branding for each of the four teams complete with a dedicated color scheme as well as its own mascot. As of the start of the 2026 season, D4 is composed of the Russian Rockets, White Yeti, Baby Blues and Navy Armada.
While 2026 has seen growth in playing interest, a rise in fandom and even the launch of a new podcast, the D4 network does not have any plans to decrease its efforts. But as for the future, they are leaving the direction of the league in the Lord’s hands.
“As far as growth goes, it’s like, where can we go? I mean, I guess there’s only so much you can do with a rec league,” Harter said. “Well, we’ll let that limit find us rather than us describe ourselves.”
Throughout the years, D4 has developed a beneficial relationship with the Club Sports hockey teams at Liberty. Being able to collaborate despite the varying levels of the sport has allowed for D4 to receive a large amount of support.
“Big shout-out for all the Liberty Hockey teams,” Chamberlain said. “They’ve supported us and we’ve supported them even though we’re not affiliated with Liberty directly.”
While the league acts as a low-key environment for those who want to play hockey, it can also be an asset to those looking to develop their skill set in hopes of playing at a higher level.
“For people who are looking to grow in hockey and maybe play at the club level, we want you in this league, work on your craft, develop your skills,” Chamberlain said. “And if you’re wanting to try out for one of Liberty’s teams, we’d love to be a stepping-stone for you.”
The season opener took place Feb. 17 when last season’s champions, the Rockets, defeated the White Yeti in a thrilling 9-8 finish. With the season just getting started, there is plenty of time to get involved or just show support for the D4 league. Stay up to date on the latest from schedules and score updates to new podcast episodes by following @thed4show on Instagram.
“We’re excited to keep doing what we’re doing to provide our players and community with the top experience in intramural hockey,” Chamberlain said. “It’s called the D4Show for a reason, after all.”
Editor’s Note: D4 Hockey is not directly affiliated with Campus Recreation or Club Sports.
White is the Editor-in-chief for the Liberty Champion.