April 8, 2004

The University of Notre Dame has the best intramural athletic program in the country.

That’s according to a listing in the April 8, 2004, issue of Sports Illustrated On Campus:
“With roughly 6,000 participants, the 60-sport intramural program at Notre Dame helps instill the Irish with their fighting spirit. Competing in Bookstore Basketball, the Bengal Bouts or full-pad tackle football is sometimes worth more than a letter jacket. ‘Notre Dame varsity sports don’t attract as many students as they’d like because students would rather play intramurals than watch from the (varsity) sidelines,’ says Richard O’Leary, director of intramurals. Rudy always said if he could do it over again, he would have gone out for broomball.”

Notre Dame’s RecSports program features clubs in 29 sports and an extensive intramural program spanning more than 60 leagues and tournaments. In addition, more than 40 exercise classes meet each week through the extensive Challenge U Fitness program. Students, faculty and staff may also participate in a wide variety of instructional programs, outdoor activities and special events, including scuba diving, cross country skiing, campus fun runs and swing dance.