At BYU, some of the most competitive games on campus aren’t happening in the Marriott Center.
Between classes, homework and everything else that comes with college life, intramural sports have become a go-to outlet for thousands of students looking to stay active, meet people and take a break from the stress of school.
“For a lot of people, intramurals are a big, important part of their college experience,” said Phil Kelly, BYU’s intramural sports director.
Kelly has been part of the intramural program since 1989, starting as a student employee before eventually becoming director. Nearly four decades later, he said the reason he has stayed has little to do with the games themselves.
“Number one is just working with the students. They bring me a ton of joy,” Kelly said. “My staff is amazing, and a lot of our participants are just really delightful.”
BYU’s intramural program draws about one-third of the student body each year. That demand has only grown as enrollment has increased, creating a challenge for organizers trying to fit as many teams as possible into limited space.
“We’re one of the largest programs in the whole United States for intramural sports, but we just don’t have enough facility space with the size of our student body,” Kelly said.
Even so, spots fill up fast.
In winter semester, second-block football leagues sold out in as little as five minutes. Inner tube water polo — one of the program’s more unconventional offerings — regularly turns away around 100 teams each year due to limited capacity.
“Why are people signing up to play water polo in an inner tube?” Kelly said, laughing. “But it is wildly popular.”
Alongside traditional sports like basketball, soccer and volleyball, the program has expanded to include activities like spikeball and golf scrambles. One newer booming sport surprised even longtime organizers.
“When it got pitched to me probably around 12 years ago, I just laughed and said yeah that’s not happening,” Kelly said about pickleball. “Now it fills up every tournament we run.”
While the sports themselves may vary, intramurals have become something students consistently rely on.
“It’s like an emotional release,” Kelly said. “College can be stressful, right? And just getting together with your friends and having that physical energy just kind of calms you down and helps you feel like I’m going to make it through the next day.”
That balance is something Saxton Morby has seen from a different perspective. Morby started working in the program in 2019 as a referee and now serves as the officials coordinator, where he trains and oversees student officials.
“I’ve always loved sports, so I just wanted to stay involved,” Morby said. “I also love the behind-the-scenes aspect of things.”
From organizing schedules to running tournaments, Morby said one of the most rewarding parts of his job is watching an entire season come together.
“You coordinate everything ... schedule games, create tournaments, and get a winner,” he said. “It's exciting to go from the beginning to the end of the whole program and see it run smoothly.”
Beyond logistics, Morby said intramurals provide something many students don’t realize they need.
“Especially when you’re in school, everyone needs the time to get away and do something recreational,” he said. “The problem is, a lot of recreational things cost money and they’re usually quite expensive. Intramurals gives students an organized experience at a really good price.”
It is also one of the few places on campus where all skill levels come together.
“We have some really good players that have played college sports … and then we also have others that have never played before, all playing in the same program,” Morby said.
In some cases, that even includes current BYU athletes. NCAA athletes are allowed to participate in intramurals as long as they are not playing their own sport, leading to some memorable moments.
Kelly recalled BYU football quarterback Jake Retzlaff playing intramural softball with a team that quickly became a problem for the rest of the league.
“His softball team was phenomenal,” Kelly said. “They crushed everybody and I think probably eight of their 12 players were on the football team.”
While competition can get intense, both Kelly and Morby emphasized that the intramural program is still designed to reflect BYU’s spiritual environment.
“Sportsmanship is the spirituality in athletics,” Morby said, quoting former President Ezra Taft Benson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “So we do our best to encourage sportsmanship and make it a great environment for everyone.”
For BYU students, it provides structure, a way to make friends, and a break from the demands of school.
“Intramurals are something a lot of people look forward to,” Kelly said.
And for those still deciding whether to sign up, Morby had a clear message.
“You’re not going to find a better program ... and you’re not going to be at BYU forever so take advantage of it while you have it.”