Sport Club FAQs

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What is the difference between Sport Clubs and Intramural Sports?

Sport Clubs provide students the opportunity to find community while continuing to compete in the sports they love or try new sports. Clubs practice regularly throughout the academic year, compete against other institutions, pay dues and focus on skill development. Sport Clubs are student run and provide officers the opportunity to learn fundamentals in organization, budgeting, leadership and management. Intramural Sports provides students, faculty and staff the opportunity for competition and fun in a variety of team sports. On-Campus leagues provide participants the chance to be both competitive and social, seasons typically last 6 weeks. Intramural Sports are more recreational in nature than Sport Clubs.

Sport Clubs are organized and led by student officers. They range from competitive to recreational and are funded primarily by membership dues and fundraising with limited financial support from University Recreation and the Student Government Association. Some Sport Clubs have tryouts, but many are instructional and will teach members to play their sport. Clubs compete against other institutions’ club from across the Southeast. Sport Clubs do not offer scholarships, unlike Athletics. Intercollegiate Athletics Teams are housed in the Athletics Department and compete in NCAA competition. Athletics teams have paid coaches, scholarships and generally compete in the Southeastern Conference.

Contact information for current clubs is available on their webpages under Sport Clubs; these pages also include information on how to specifically get involved with each club, estimated dues, practice locations and social media information. Specific information about a club will best be answered by contacting them directly, but if you do not receive a timely response or have more general questions please reach out to the Sport Programs Staff at SportClubs@ua.edu.

Every Sport Club at the University of Alabama is student-led, creating a wide variety of activities and recreational pursuits. Some clubs are only competitive, recreational or instructional while other clubs having a combination of these elements. Visit the Sport Clubs page for more information on a specific club or contact them directly.

Most clubs choose to charge membership dues in order to assist with the operating costs of the club. These fees may be used to pay for travel, uniforms, equipment, facilities, referees or other costs. Dues vary largely from club to club; please see the estimated dues on the Sport Clubs page. Teams may receive allocations, fund-raise, or receive donations to offset some costs.

Some are open to anyone who either wants to continue an activity they currently participate in or to anyone who wants to try a new sport. However, there are many clubs that do hold try-outs due to their competitive nature and limited facilities. There may be a fee associated with the try-out. To find out specific information on try-outs visit the Sport Clubs page for more information on a particular club or contact them directly.

Sport Clubs are not varsity sports and do not have scholarships available. The clubs are funded through membership dues, fundraisers and small allocations. Many clubs compete competitively, while others meet solely for recreation or instructional purposes.

Each club is responsible for determining its membership requirements and policies. For information on joining a club, visit the Sport Clubs page for more information on a specific club.

Practice times vary by club. Most practices are two to three times a week for two hours per practice. Clubs determine the number of practices a member must attend.

Starting a Sport Club requires time and effort, but can be accomplished through the dedication of a small group of students. Please contact us at SportClubs@ua.edu if you and some friends are interested in starting on the journey to becoming a Sport Club. We will set up an initial meeting to discuss requirements such as finding an interest group of 10+ students, identifying a national governing body, researching potential opponents, becoming a registered student organization, finding a faculty adviser and creating a constitution.

The Sport Club Handbook contains guidelines governing participation in Sport Clubs and is a helpful resource for understanding various aspects of the program. If you cannot find the answer to your question, please contact the Sport Programs Office at urecsportprograms@ua.edu or call 205–348–8055.