The Best Colleges for Intramural Sports

ND improves the health and skills of students and strengthens the campus community through intramural sports and other recreational activities. Students and faculty can join as a team or sign up as a free agent. They can play in leagues and tournaments by registering through the school's IMLeagues App.

ND offers more than 60 intramural sports, including football, soccer, cornhole, golf, table tennis, and basketball. Participants can play with members of their residence halls or play against other halls. ND also offers leagues and teams that cater specifically to graduate students and off-campus students.

Loyola runs one of the best college intramural sports programs. The university offers tournament and league formats in various sports, including baseball, soccer, flag football, cornhole, and racquetball. The school also hosts a Quidditch league and an ultimate Frisbee league for men's, women's, and coed teams.

At Loyola, most intramural programs run for 2-4 weeks. Participants must register through the IMLeagues app. Students, staff, and faculty can also join fitness classes, personal training, and swimming sessions at the university's many facilities. Loyola operates a recreation center with an eight-lane pool and a multipurpose gym, along with an outdoor campus recreation area with a rock wall, hiking trails, and paddling opportunities.

Purdue runs an intramural sports program with more than 18,000 participants. Offering more than 40 sports, including football, basketball, volleyball, soccer, and softball (along with less traditional activities like cornhole, ladderball, and esports), Purdue provides options for all students, staff, and faculty.

In 1957, the university established one of the first recreational facilities designated for student use. Over time, Purdue has built on that tradition by adding more than 350,000 square feet of recreational space, including an Olympic-sized pool, multiple fitness centers, five gymnasiums, two climbing walls, and a Myrtha pool. Purdue uses the IMLeagues app for intramural sports.

Running more than 50 intramural sports leagues and featuring top facilities, Rutgers has become one of the best colleges for intramural sports. At Rutgers, intramural sports are held on four campuses. Men's, women's, and coed teams may register. Teams do not have mandatory practices or experience requirements, and students do not need to supply their own equipment.

Intramural sports at Rutgers run in the spring and fall semesters. Available sports include basketball, softball, cricket, street hockey, and ultimate Frisbee, along with esports and games like bingo, trivia, and battleship. In addition to outdoor courts and fields, Rutgers operates three recreational centers, a fitness center, and a gym.

Clemson's intramural sports program includes more than 20 activities, including canoe battleship, basketball, cornhole, dodgeball, football, soccer, and water polo. All school staff, students, and faculty can become participants by registering on IMLeagues and joining a men's, women's, or coed team. Participants may also register as a free agent.

Clemson's facilities include a recreation center with six basketball courts, five racquetball courts, indoor and outdoor tracks, two fitness studios, a wellness zone, and a climbing wall. The university also operates a separate fitness studio and an outdoor fitness and wellness center. Clemson provides an online interface that lets students see whether facilities are available at any given time.

UVA has become one of the top colleges for intramural sports. To improve student health and networking, UVA operates two recreational centers, an aquatic center, a squash center, four gymnasiums, a climbing center, and many outdoor courts and fields.

At UVA, intramural sport offerings include cornhole, basketball, kickball, spikeball, and tennis. The university offers intramurals every day of the week, as well as opportunities to join leagues, weekly tournaments, and contests. UVA also operates esport leagues for FIFA, Madden, and Rocket League. Students can also take advantage of bouldering, hiking, and boating activities.

UCLA operates a robust intramural sports program, providing individual activities and team sports for coed groups, fraternities, men, and women. The university registers more than 7,000 participants each year for quarterly tournaments, leagues, and special events. Intramurals take place all week, and students, staff, and faculty can gain full access with a $25 membership.

UCLA offers 13 regularly scheduled intramural sports and activities, including basketball, flag football, cornhole, dodgeball, and racquetball. Participants enjoy access to 16 recreational facilities, including an aquatic center, an outdoor adventure center, intramural fields, a student activities center, and a center for sand volleyball.

Gannon's intramural sports program emphasizes participation and enjoyment without requiring experience. The university runs more than 20 different sports and activities, including flag football, golf, basketball, spikeball, and dodgeball. Participants can also play games like fantasy football and battleship. The university organizes all leagues, tournaments, and contests through the IMLeagues app.

Gannon's intramurals welcome all students, staff, and faculty, including full-time and part-time learners. All sports and activities are free and take place at outdoor courts and fields or in the recreation and wellness center, which houses a gymnasium with a rubberized track, a six-lane pool, and two racquetball courts.

SF State hosts a popular intramural sports program. Designed to promote healthy lifestyles and improve student participation and communication on campus, SF's intramurals include outdoor soccer, indoor soccer, basketball, flag football, and volleyball. Students can also take advantage of activities like esports and fantasy football.

SF State's intramural sports accept all students, staff, and faculty who register on the IMLeagues app. Participants can join men's, women's, and coed teams or enter as a free agent. Most sports run Monday through Thursday for 8-10 weeks in the fall and spring semesters. Facilities include a wellness center with multiple gyms, a natatorium, a climbing wall, and fitness studios, as well as outdoor fields and courts.

Penn offers intramural sports to promote friendly competition and healthy living on campus. Participants register to join specific teams or as free agents through IMLeagues. They can play in tournaments, leagues, and contests that cater to men's, women's, or coed teams. Available sports include badminton, bocce, ping pong, and pickleball, along with other activities like trivia and esports.

Penn houses some of the best intramural and recreational facilities in the country. The school's health and fitness center features an Olympic-sized pool, a 40-foot climbing wall, and many fitness and gym spaces. Students can also access a golf simulator, an aquatic center, a separate fitness center, and a field track.