This year, Colorado Mesa University (CMU) will be bringing back bowling and will be offering archery as options, along with their usual list of  sports.

Students who want to compete can contact coaches through the club sports page on the CMU website. Tryouts are usually held during the first couple of weeks of the semester. Most students are only aware about NCAA-regulated sports at the school, but there are also many other sports that compete outside the jurisdiction of the NCAA.

The university offers 20-25 club sports depending on student interest. Some sports, like club soccer or club volleyball, serve as the junior-varsity level to the NCAA-sanctioned sports.

Others, such as water polo or alpine skiing, offer the highest level of competition for students in their respective sports. About 500 to 600 students typically compete in club sports each year for Colorado Mesa University (CMU) and its affiliate schools and campuses.

Some may disregard club sports because they play non-NCAA competition, but club sports actually mirror similar opponents that our NCAA-governed sport programs play.

“We parallel whatever the NCAA schools [play]. At CMU, we are in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, and so whatever schools that they play against, which would be [like] Colorado School of Mines, Regis University or Western Colorado University, we also play,” Director of Club Sports Reese Kegans said.

In fact, some of the school’s best sports programs are not affiliated with the NCAA. The CMU cycling team, which competes in the Rocky Mountain Collegiate Cycling Conference, is coming off of two consecutive national titles. The women’s rugby team finished as the national runner-up last season.

Club sports are a fun and meaningful way to get involved in the CMU community, especially for new students who may not have that many out-of-class connections. They also allow students to earn recognition for something they already like doing.

“Outside of class-building, friend groups [are] what get you through life. And so doing a sport that you like makes life a little bit more enjoyable. You keep yourself healthier, and you can continue doing something that your parents can watch you do. Or, if you want the opportunity to go to varsity [sports], club sports is your way of getting noticed,” Kegans said.

Additional information about club sports can be found by contacting [email protected].