At the beginning of lunch every day, students from all over campus pile onto Loyola’s athletic facilities, such as Smith Field or Leavy Gym, to play or watch their team compete in the daily intramurals. Intramurals have cemented themselves as a staple part of a Cub’s daily life at Loyola. Ranging from basketball to soccer to ultimate frisbee, students enjoy competing against each other at lunch to win the coveted Intramural Championship.
While we all relish intramural sports at Loyola, none of us have ever thought about how it is run. Brad Legant is the one to thank for keeping intramurals running smoothly. The longtime varsity soccer coach can be seen walking around at lunch during the games to ensure everything runs smoothly. His goal for intramurals is to “provide an opportunity for students to participate in various sports that they may or may not be very good at. It’s mildly competitive but mostly just for fun.”
Legant says nearly 300 students register for every intramural sport, making around 50 teams. He manages the teams using a playoff bracket-type system with winning and losing brackets. One of the biggest obstacles Legant faces while managing intramurals is time. Due to Loyola’s different bell schedules, some lunches may be longer or shorter than others, making it more difficult to make the games fair for every team. Additionally, Loyola’s different activities during lunch can also conflict with intramurals, including Cura Days, college fairs, and club activities.
Another significant challenge for Legant is keeping the games fair for students who decide to cheat during the games. When asked how he keeps the games organized and fair, Legant answered, “This falls largely on the conscience of the Loyola boys. There’s simply not enough time to roster-check every team or enough referees to call every game. Occasionally, I catch a cheating team, and they are disqualified, but mostly, I rely on the sportsmanship and integrity that Loyola students usually possess.”
While these issues persist every season, Legant’s goal of providing a fun experience is always met. Legant said, “Any type of exercise is beneficial for our students, especially these days when so much time is spent in front of screens. Intramurals also provides an opportunity to meet new people and potentially strike up new friendships.” Thanks to Legant, students can enjoy intramurals every day at lunch, competing with each other in various sports.
According to sophomore Brody Crist, the best part of intramural sports is just watching the competition, as students compete against each other, with the level ranging profusely. Nate Turk ‘26 said his favorite part about intramurals is the break from class and being able to just have fun with his friends.
Currently, the only sports available are ultimate frisbee, which is the fan favorite, along with soccer, flag football, and basketball. Legant is looking forward to bringing a greater variety of sports to the program next year, such as ping pong and dodgeball.
