The Most Coveted Prize on Campus, Celebrating the Intramural Sports Championship T-shirt
Few experiences rival that of the quest college students take to win a t-shirt. Each year, students go to great lengths to claim this aspirational trophy.
While sand volleyball may not appear to be an ultra-competitive sport, NC State students will dive and scrape in the sand each semester in an effort to win one of the most prized possessions on campus, an intramural sports championship t-shirt.
Senior Jacob Cassell has won at least eight different intramural volleyball leagues and tournaments during his time at NC State. Each championship shirt holds a special place in his closet.
“It means that I am the best at that sport at NC State, at least that’s what I claim,” Cassell jokes. “It’s cool to look back on all my shirts and remember that each one has a different memory associated with all of the different people I love to compete with.”
Over 6,000 NC State students participate in more than 40 intramural sports leagues and events each academic year. For these players, it’s not about NIL dollars or the hope of a professional contract.
Senior Lauren Chocianowski competes each semester in a variety of intramural sports and has earned championship shirts in both basketball and soccer.
“I got into intramural sports because I grew up playing basketball, so I wanted to continue to be able to play in an organized setting. Intramurals are definitely my favorite part of the day because I’m competitive and I love to spend my time playing sports,” she said.
Championship t-shirts have been awarded since the early 1980s at NC State to winning teams of league sports like basketball, flag football, soccer and volleyball. They quickly became one of the most sought after items on campus.
“I’ve had people come up to me and beg me to sell them one,” said Randy Bechtold, former assistant director of intramurals and current senior lecturer in Health and Exercise Studies.
Ironically, the first championship shirts awarded were blue, like many NC State sports teams in the university’s early history. The design has changed on a more regular basis in recent decades, though, with varying red, black, gray and white versions often including the year, with one color awarded in the fall and another in the spring.
A special championship shirt was designed for 2024 to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of intramural sports at NC State. There is still time to win one of your own by registering for an intramural event this spring.
- Categories:
