March 29, 2026 by

It’s Friday night after a long week of exams, assignments, and late-night study sessions. As the sun sets over campus, you and your friends make the walk from your dorm to the field, discussing game plans, setting the lineup, and preparing for the night you’ve been looking forward to all week.  

Your intramural game has finally arrived, and it has quickly become your favorite night of the week. It’s a time to forget about classes, compete in your favorite sport with friends, create lifelong memories, and glorify God in the process.  

This is the experience I have every time my intramural games roll around. So much so that I count down the days until my next game, and I participate in multiple intramurals at a time.  

These nights have become a time to reset and have fun, allowing me to take a step back from the busyness school life can bring. 

Break From the Academics 

As a college student, academics can be challenging, and sometimes a break is much needed. Between attending chapel, classes, study sessions, group projects, and everything else, it can be nice to have a couple of nights a week to forget about school for an hour or two. This is exactly what intramurals do.  

Whether going to watch a friend play or playing myself, I see intramural games as a time to take a “mental reset” from school. The mixture of physical activity and socialization gives a great opportunity to relieve some stress from the school week.  

After hours of studying for exams and working on projects, stepping onto the field is incredibly refreshing. 

Fun With Friends 

Another thing I love about intramurals is the friendships that are built and fostered on and off the court. Many teams are a combination of friend groups joining together to play the sport they love. This provides great opportunities to meet new people and build new friendships. In addition, participating in sports together allows for even more opportunities to grow closer to each other. 

Some of my closest friendships have been built through intramurals. Every season brings about new team traditions, inside jokes, and friendly rivalries that never fail to strengthen relationships and create memories. And even when we lose — sometimes pretty badly — we still have fun playing the sport we love with great friends.  

There is something about spending time with friends while playing the sport you love that creates some of the best moments of the week.  

Intramurals also draw spectators into the experience, giving you opportunities to support friends on the court. At every game, students will line the sidelines to cheer on their friends and classmates. Some students will even make signs and play music to support the teams.  

Intramural nights quickly become a great place to unwind and socialize when you need it the most. 

Moments Everyone Remembers 

Not only do intramurals allow for a time away from class and with friends, but they also make way for some of the most unbelievable moments. These moments are the stories that are talked about semesters later in the hallways at 3 a.m. — the moments that your friends reminisce over and the current players strive to recreate. 

The memory that never fails to give me goosebumps was the futsal (a smaller, fast-paced indoor version of soccer) intramural finals during the spring of 2024. I was rooting for my friends John and Simeon, who were playing against a team called the “Dragon Warriors.”  

The sidelines were lined shoulder to shoulder with spectators, and 90% of them were rooting for the Dragon Warriors, who were favored to win it all. The game was close the entire time, going back and forth until the last four minutes, when the Dragon Warriors went up by one point.  

As the clock wound down, John and Simeon were struggling to get any more scoring opportunities; however, with 15 seconds left, their attacker shot the ball from midfield, just beyond the two-point line. The ball flew between the defenders, going right over the goalie’s head and into the back of the goal, giving their team two points and winning the game. 

The rowdy fans went dead quiet, while my friends and I began screaming with excitement. We continue to talk about that moment to this day. It has quickly become one of my fondest memories of college, and I wasn’t even on the field. All of the intramural futsal players remember it, and it is the story the underdog teams try to recreate yearly.  

Without fail, intramural nights create some of the greatest memories in college.  

More Than Just the Game 

Although the moments that happen on the field are great, the times spent with the team outside of the games are just as good.  

Every game night, our team will get dinner together beforehand and hang out. These dinners are always fun times to talk about strategy, positions, and lineup for the game to come. Then, once the game is finished, the team will sometimes head out to Taco Bell or Bill’s Donuts for a late-night snack, which is the best way to end the night.  

Intramural nights are more than just playing sports; they build a strong group of friends that branch out beyond the soccer field or basketball court. These friendships strengthen over time, and it is not uncommon to hang out with intramural teammates throughout the week. 

As these friendships grow, it makes game nights that much more enjoyable. They are not only your intramural team but also your close group of friends. This is a key reason intramural nights are easily some of the greatest nights on campus. 

All to the Glory of God 

My favorite part about playing intramurals at Cedarville is the faith aspect on the field. Not only are you playing sports with your friends, but you are also playing with your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. In doing so, everyone is positive and encouraging on the field, representing Christ’s love in the way they treat one another.  

As 1 Corinthians 10:31 reminds us, “whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Even something as simple as an intramural game becomes an opportunity to glorify Him. 

Before the game, all players huddle up and pray, which helps remind us to glorify God in all that we do, representing Christ and His love throughout the game. It is a great time to use the gifts God has given us to kindle friendships and community, which is another reason I enjoy intramural nights so much.  

Why We Keep Returning 

You finally step on the court, and all the stress built up over the past school week is quickly washed away by the adrenaline. Once that starting whistle blows, all you can think about is the task at hand. For the next hour, you get to play the sport you love with your closest friends — new and old — while classmates and friends cheer you on from the stands.  

This is the highlight of the week. A break from classes, a time to hang out with friends, and an opportunity to make memories that will last years. On top of that, it is a time to use God’s gifts to glorify Him while having fun. Because of this, you anticipate the next intramural game night each week, whether you are playing or cheering on a friend.  

Long after the final whistle blows, the friendships, moments, and memories made during intramural nights continue to shape the Cedarville experience. For many students, these nights become more than just games; they become some of the fondest memories of their time on campus.  

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