Champ Nights. Oh, lovely, chaotic Champ Nights. To be honest before I started this job I had never given Champ Nights a thought. As much as I love them, my friends and I are sadly not "make it to the Championships" level when it comes to intramural sports. ONE DAY. I WILL win an intramural t-shirt before I leave this university (here's looking at inner tuber water polo to make that happen....#DreamBig). Anyway, Champ Nights are a very cool part of the Virginia Tech sporting atmosphere that sadly a lot of people never get to experience. The programming Rec Sports put on is incredibly extravagant and a lot of fun. The marketing department is responsible for organizing all of the games at half-time, as well as announcing the games and engaging all of the spectators that have come to cheer on their friends. I'd truly call these Champ nights a hidden gem of Tech because no one seems to realize that the prizes we offer are incredibly cool. If I ask specters to participate just by presenting them the game, there's rarely much interest. But if I subtly mention the winner will get a free FitBit or AppleTV and you can bet participation interest skyrockets.
Overall, our goal is to make the Champ Night a great experience for everyone. Virginia Tech has one of the most active collegiate intramural programs in the country with over 10,000 students participating annually. That is a ridiculously large amount of people, putting a lot of pressure on the department to make keep up that popular reputation. Creating a fun, competitive atmosphere is a crucial part in the success of the program!