Sports can be a way for some students to escape the responsibilities of school and stay active at the same time.Some students will get that opportunity today when the fall intramural season begins at the University Student Recreational Complex with the first session of team and individual leagues available to students and faculty.The action tips off with 3-on-3 basketball at the UREC’s outdoor courts, said Matthew Boyer, assistant director of leagues and tournaments.”The indoor facility is currently undergoing construction,” he said. “We hope to have it complete by the end of the semester.”The indoor facility has not been used for intramural competition since Hurricane Gustav damaged the roof last September, causing rainwater to ruin the gym floor.Tomorrow kicks off 11-a-side soccer, while other first session events — team racquetball, singles table tennis and singles tennis — get underway next week.Registration for these competitions already passed, Boyer said.Basketball regular season games will be held Tuesday and Thursday nights throughout the semester and soccer plays Sunday, Monday and Wednesdays. The other league playing times and dates are set by the participants, Boyer said.In team racquetball, a team of four to five people competes against another team in two singles matches and one doubles match.Divisions for all sports vary and can include men’s, women’s, Greek, co-recreational, residential life and faculty/staff leagues.Team competitions have 26 participants in basketball and 64 in soccer, Boyer said.Participants will again be required to enter through the main entrance of the complex in effort to reserve facilities to just students and members.”Our goal is to create space outside that is safe for members and reserved for members,” Boyer said. “We had a problem [in the past] with several non-members and non-students coming out and using the facility.”Competitions will not be affected by the recent resignation of University Recreation Director    Tamara Jarrett, Boyer said. Registration for the second session of league competitions, which include flag football and sand volleyball, will take place from Sept. 28 to Oct. 6.Future events include dodgeball, punt-pass-and-kick competitions and sand volleyball triples competitions during football Homecoming week in November. Each will be a one-day event, Boyer said. “We’re planning several events during that week to build up school spirit,” he said.The flag football Grid Iron Challenge will be held throughout Homecoming week, and the winner will travel to the Southeastern Conference championship game in Atlanta to compete against other schools in the conference.Registration for these competitions will last from Nov. 2-5.- – – -Contact Jonathan Schexnayder at [email protected]