By Nicolas Esparza, September 16, 2025
The Bronco Recreation and Intramural Complex offers intramural sports for students every semester, allowing them to play the sports they love and create friendships, on campus.
Cal Poly Pomona is offering volleyball, dodgeball, basketball, flag football, pickleball, and soccer this fall. Softball will replace dodgeball during the spring semester.
“It’s a natural way of building friends,” sports manager Milton Cruz said. “You’re on a team, you’re going through the highs and lows of winning and losing, and they end up becoming your friends long term, which happens all the time through intramurals.”
Students can register up until Sept. 25 as the fall season runs from Sept. 29 to Dec. 5.
There is a men’s league, a women’s league, and a co-ed league for each sport. The teams will play against other CPP students within their league.
Also, students have the option of joining a competitive or recreational team for each sport. The recreational leagues are typically for casual and new players, while the competitive league is for students who have a more extensive past playing a particular sport. This ensures fair competition for games.
“The environment is welcoming,” Cruz said. “It’s a space where you can go and try out different sports. It’s set up in a way so that you can branch out to other sports that you’ve never tried before because you have your teams that are out there just for fun.”
Cabren Clarke computer information major currently plays on the “48 Laws of Power” men’s basketball recreational team and is about to enter his second season.
“I look at the individual aspect, as I want to get better as a player, getting out of your comfort zone, playing with an open mind,” Clarke said.
Students can either join a team or create their own. If they don’t have a team to join, students can sign up to be a free agent, which is a player who does not belong to any one team but is open to joining any team that may be interested in them.
Cruz was on a team of 12 free agents, and their season resulted in winning a championship.
“In the beginning, I had no idea who any of these guys were, but we ended up bonding really well,” Cruz said. “At the end of the semester, we all looked at each other like I didn’t know who you all were in the beginning, and now we’re celebrating this trophy.”
After five weeks of games, there is a playoff tournament and a championship game for every sport. At the end of the championship game, a winner is crowned and an MVP is named.
“We are playing against each other, but we also get to meet people from the other teams, from all different majors,” said hospitality major and all-rec basketball MVP Taliyah Manu. “You get to meet new people without even trying.
There is a handbook to follow with rules and regulations in order to reach this level.
According to Cruz, the most important rule is to follow sportsmanship conduct. Each team is graded on its sportsmanship on a scale of 0-4. An average of 3 allows a team to move on to the playoff bracket if eligible. If the average is between 0 to 2, a team will be removed from playoff contention.
Teams can hold practices twice a week, and games are held once a week, all of which are between 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Students can balance school with sports by being disciplined.
“It’s really about being organized and knowing time management, knowing when you can and can’t get in the gym,” Clarke said.
Intramural sports can help students create new connections and long-lasting friendships.
“I’ve experienced the best memories being able to go out there, have fun and build friendships, having that community,” Clarke said.
Students tend to build these bonds with their teammates through long hours of working together as a team with one common goal.
“The most rewarding part about being on this team is making connections,” Manu said. “We became a little family.”
Students can sign up in person at the BRIC or through the ASI portal and register by paying a $20 fee. The fee allows students to participate in any of the sports offered. Students are not limited to how many sports they can sign up for.
Feature image courtesy of The Poly Post
