Sports Are Big Business in Universities

“Collegiate flag football just isn’t what it used to be. If you’re picturing 14 kids on a makeshift field, you haven’t been on campus recently. Across the country, intramural and club sports – which include everything from softball and soccer to co-rec Quiddich (the wizarding contact sport) and Pool Battleship (the bucket-dumping, canoe-sinking team sport) – are now millions of students’ strong and gaining sway.

This rise in popularity has given campus recreation departments which house these programs increasing value among students and stakeholders. To industry veterans like University of South Carolina’s Intramural Sports Director Don Mills, it’s no surprise that a groundbreaking modernization within Campus Rec facilities and technology is underway. “It’s been gaining steam for 5-10 years and we’re seeing investments in campus rec hitting a tipping point right now.”

As recreation gets put in the spotlight, colleges and universities see a parallel with how their athletics programs have grown into revenue models and institutional sales tools. Now, they’re applying this same lens to intramural and club sports. It’s common business sense when you look at the numbers.”

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