Non-BYU students are no longer allowed to participate in BYU intramural activities after the university changed their participation rules this semester.
With BYU focusing its intramural sports on serving just its students, UVU is one of the few schools left that allows both students and non-students to participate. UVU does this to serve both its students and the community.
Alex Gebers, an assistant coordinator for intramural sports at Utah Valley University, said, 'With UVU being a community school, you got friends that go to BYU, you got friends that maybe don't even go to school that are graduated and done. This is a way to get them involved, get them on a team, and still be close to their friends that may not be students at UVU.'
Considering the growth that UVU has seen just in the past few years, the school is already planning to expand the amount of intramural leagues they offer.
Currently, the school permits three non-students on an intramural team and expects that policy to remain for the future.
Gebers said, 'I don't see it changing. We have the four turf fields, we have three basketball courts here, and we're getting ready to have construction going on at Geneva where we're even going to add another grass field and also two sand volleyball pits. So this opens up a whole bunch of opportunities for growth, and to continue to offer these things to students and our non-students as well.'
While UVU students can play intramural sports by paying a small participation fee, non-students must also pay a $25 guest fee. The school believes this fee is worth paying, especially after considering the opportunities it will give students to play the sports they love.
According to Gebers, participating in intramural sports can help students academically as well. 'It's just getting involved; having that social interaction, the stress relief. Yes, you need to focus on studies, you need to focus on life, but at the same time, life and studies can put a lot of stress on you, and so being able to have that stress relief to turn to is great. And, plus, who doesn't love sports?'