Marshall University is hosting intramural sports during the fall semester.

Jonathan Sanders, coordinator of competitive sports and camps, talked about what these sports are going to look like, and what precautions the university is taking.

“For each intramural event we are offering, we submit a full safety execution plan, which has to be approved by several parties from the university and the Health Department,” Sanders said. “There are specific trainings and procedures we have in place for COVID in order to ensure everyone’s safety.”

All participants and staff, including officials, will be required to wear masks, as well as complete the university-wide health checks before participating. An increased number of sports will also take place outside to better execute appropriate social distancing. The Intramurals have also limited the number of participants to ensure the gatherings stay under 25 people. 

The intramurals are broken down into two categories: tournaments and leagues. Tournaments are designed for quick completion to generate buzz during the first few weeks of the semester. Leagues run for several weeks and culminate in their own tournaments at the end of the leagues schedule.

Sanders said another precaution is the purchasing of more equipment to ensure each team and game has an individual set. Once the night is over, each set will be sent for thorough sanitation.

In order to comply with West Virginia coronavirus safety guidelines, some sports had to be completely excluded from the intramural leagues fall schedule. 

“Unfortunately, basketball is a sport that is just too unsafe to run during the fall semester,” Sanders said. “It is too many people in a confined area with multiple players, staff and substitutes. You get very close to exceeding the gathering limit with one game.”

Even with the adjustments, intramurals aim to restore the competitive spirit in Marshall University students.

“Getting out, doing so safely, but still having a little bit of competition will hopefully bring back a little bit of normalcy to people’s college experience,” Sanders said. 

Marshall University students can sign up for the first set of intramural league sports until Sept. 10th. For the full list of intramural sports and schedule, students can refer to the informational flyer listed on Marshall’s Campus Recreation website. All intramural leagues are free of charge excluding a golf tournament that will run in October.

To complete registration, students can reach out to [email protected]

For more information, students can contact Jonathan Sanders at [email protected]

Alex Jackson can be contacted at [email protected].