The glory days seem to be over for SRU varsity athletics. There are legends of intense football games between SRU and rival universities IUP, Edinboro University, and Clarion University. These heated matchups made for some intense showdowns and packed stadiums full of green and white. Unfortunately, with the lack of any recent SRU success, much of the school spirit has since evaporated. Now at varsity athletic events, students come decked out in “Rock Rowdies” gear toward the beginning of each semester, but much of the spirit fizzles out as loss after loss is accumulated. The most recent downer for varsity athletics was a cut in funding, which translated to a cut in very popular teams, such as water polo, swimming, golf, and men’s tennis, just to name a few. SRU seems to have forgotten that the wide selection of varsity sports, now lost, was a definite appeal for student recruitment.
Intramural sports teams are far more popular and, in many cases, taken more seriously than varsity sports. IMs carry a cult-like following, as students create teams and come out to the ARC to have fun, more than anything. Anybody can play in the many events throughout the year, as actual “skills” are, by no means, mandatory. Basketball, dodgeball, volleyball, and a laundry list of other sports give students many options to get involved, make fools of themselves, and have a good time doing it.