As the 2016-2017 academic year begins, students will notice changes in the way society sports are being scheduled.

According to intramural directors, these changes work toward maximizing intramural schedules and the efficiency of the Davis Field House personnel as well as creating continuity and equity in the intramural program.

Mike LeViere, director of intramural sports, shared some insight on the changes.

“Probably the biggest change we will see in intramurals is the move for women’s society volleyball from the fall to the spring, and there’s a couple reasons for that,” LeViere said.

The first reason LeViere gave was that changes in scheduling would bring greater organization to women’s and men’s society sports, strengthening the program.

The move of women’s intramural volleyball accompanies several scheduling shifts being made to intramural sports.

Women’s soccer was also moved to coincide with men’s soccer in early September.          Leviere said this move reflects growing participation in women’s society soccer in the place of women’s society volleyball.

Men’s teams have not been left out of the schedule improvements. Eleven-man soccer will now receive twice as many matches, bringing the sport closer to the schedule of its seven-man counterpart.

Matthew Weathers, student leadership coordinator, also spoke about the changes.

“We are very excited this year for the increased focus on intramural sports so that we can enhance the overall experience for all of our student athletes,” Weathers said. “We have rearranged some of the schedules in order to maximize the opportunity for students to play and get as many games as possible in the best weather possible.”

Weathers also shared his vision of seeing intramural improvements add unity and opportunity to university athletics as a whole.

“My vision is to see intercollegiate and intramural sports coexist and support one another mutually,” Weathers said. “It’s incredible to see societies out cheering on the Bruins and also to see Bruin athletes cheering on their societies.”

Weathers likens BJU athletics to local and national teams.            

We cheer for our local teams during regular seasons but cheer for our national teams during events like the Olympics.

Likewise, we cheer for our society teams in intramurals but cheer for the Bruins against other universities.

Bruins athletics have created a unified, athletic atmosphere The University did not have before.

Intramural sports will debut during the Sept. 17 Jamboree at the kickoff of men’s and women’s soccer.