The spring semester brings many new opportunities in intramural sports.

While soccer and flag football are among the only intramural sports played during the fall semester, the spring semester offers many different sports including softball, volleyball, badminton and water polo.

But of all the intramural sports played during the spring, none is bigger or has a longer season than basketball, with 24 men’s teams and 16 women’s teams.

Last spring, the Alpha Theta Pi Razorbacks defeated the Pi Gamma Delta Royals to win the intramural championship for men’s basketball.

“Alpha is going to be one of the teams to beat this year,” Nathan Augustus, athletic director for the Epsilon Zeta Chi Tornadoes said.

Augustus said the Lanier Falcons will also be another team to watch out for this basketball season.

“I’m sure they’ll be one of the better teams this semester,” Augustus said.

Lanier will be seeking a return trip to the playoffs, where they lost on a game-winning buzzer beater to the Royals in the semifinals.

The Tornadoes, who reached the semifinals last season only to lose to the Razorbacks, are looking to repeat last season’s success and make it to the championship game this season.

Augustus said he is excited to have Chandler Stephens as the Tornadoes’ basketball coach this season.

“I’m really excited to see how he helps our team develop throughout the season. I know he’s got some good ideas when it comes to basketball,” Augustus said.

Augustus also said some key players for the Tornadoes on the court this season will be Colt Scheifer, Gershon Ho and Stephen Roth.

For women’s intramural basketball, the Pi Delta Chi Classics defeated the Theta Epsilon Chi Colts last year to win the women’s intramural basketball championship.

The Classics, along with the Colts and the Beta Epsilon Chi Cardinals and the Tau Delta Chi Kangaroos will be among the teams to beat.

“The Classics always have a strong team and the Colts have a couple of athletic freshmen on the team,” said Allyse Yorgey, Beta Epsilon Chi Cardinals athletic director.

The Cardinals, who were eliminated by the Alpha Gamma Tau Eagles in last year’s semifinals, are looking to their key players to lead them to the championship game.

“Our president, Charis Byrd, is a key player and a natural leader in our society. Another key player is Bekah Misiura, our former athletic director,” Yorgey said.