Imagine this, it's a beautiful Saturday afternoon, the sun is shining, the birds are chirping, the grass is green, and the last thought on your mind is staying inside to play video games, so what do you do? Well, being in college is synonymous with being broke and we all know the struggles of a tight budget. We know anything that requires money is out, so that leaves you with activities that are free. Which may leave you asking the proverbial question, “what in the world is there to do?" What about intramural sports?

For those who are wondering what exactly intramural sports are, don't worry. Intramural sports are organized for all students within the university. You can play flag football, basketball, softball, and almost any sport that is televised plus many others you wouldn't even think about such as pool battleship. Yes, that's right, pool battleship. This game's concept is quite amazing, the idea of the game is to sink the other team's 'battleship' or, in this case, their canoe. You start with three or four people in the canoe, all equipped with buckets used to dump water in the opposing team's ships. The last team floating wins.

If team sports are not your forte and you are more of a lone wolf, NC State also has individual intramural sports such as tennis and racquetball.

Getting started is easier than you might think. No need for a lengthy application, all you need is yourself or a couple of friends to start a team! If you don't have enough for a team, then you can join a team for a chance to make new friends! Signing up is as easy as going to the intramural sports page under University Recreation, click the registration link and then follow the simple steps.

Intramural sports is a great way to get out of the dorms, get some exercise, meet some new people, and quench your appetite for athletic competition while being able to simultaneously focus on academics.

These sports are more than just for the fun of it — they can be highly competitive, especially team sports such as flag football and soccer. Almost every sport offered for intramurals, also offers a championship to the competitors.

Although championships are offered, not all are deemed competitive. There are many different leagues as well. There are all-male leagues, all-female leagues, co-rec leagues, Greek leagues, which all offer competitive and recreational options.

So whether you are going out for the physical activity, the competition or for the fun, intramural sports at NC State offer something for everyone! So get out there, have fun and make new friends!