Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the difference between Sports Clubs and Intramural Sports?
- How do I join a club?
- What are the benefits of being a member of a sport club?
- Are the clubs competitive, recreational, or instructional?
- Does it cost money to participate in a sport club?
- How do I start a new sport club?
1) What is the difference between Sport Clubs and Intramural Sports?
This is the most popular question at our first-year student orientation sessions. Intramural sports are short-term, recreational activities that take place at UNC and only involve participants from Carolina. Sport Clubs are University recognized student organizations that are student-run and student-funded. Typically, these are year-round clubs that compete in intercollegiate competitions on a local, regional, and national scale.
2) How do I join a sport club?
Contact information for the individual clubs can be found by selecting one of the recognized clubs on the Sports Clubs Directory. Additional information can also be received by contacting Sport Programs Staff.
3) What are the benefits of being a member of a sport club?
The University of North Carolina’s Sport Club program gives each student an opportunity to take part in the leadership, responsibility and decision making process of club activities. The success of the sport club is solely dependent on the organization, management, professionalism and leadership shown by the club officers, advisors and coaches. It is created for students by students, under the supervision of the Sport Club Director and staff. Club members nominate student officers who run the day-to-day operations, which include scheduling practices, activities and games, working with league and conference officials, making all travel arrangements, and the financial management of the club.
4) Are the clubs competitive, recreational, or instructional?
There are currently 50 active sport clubs at UNC, and the diversity among clubs is one of the highlights our program. Some of our clubs are strictly competitive, recreational, or instructional, while others offer some combination of instruction or recreation along with a competitive factor as well. For example, many clubs allow members the opportunity to practice at UNC and the choice of whether or not to travel and compete in off-campus competitions.
5) Does it cost money to participate in a sport club?
Typically, yes there is some cost associated with joining a sport club. While the University is able to help financially support clubs to a limit, this usually does not cover the entire costs of club operations including travel, equipment, officials, and/or league fees. Many clubs charge annual dues in addition to fundraising and soliciting sponsorships and donations for their expenses. Dues vary depending on the club, and it is solely the decision of individual clubs on how much to charge its members.
6) How do I start a new sport club?
Thank you for your interest in becoming a Sport Club. At this time we are not accepting new applications for Sport Clubs. This is in large part because our program is at capacity for the number of Sport Clubs under our umbrella/jurisdiction. We are currently in the process of reviewing our Sport Clubs system and membership requirements. We hope to roll out the new system and requirements within the next year. Please be assured we will keep your organization in mind should space in our program open up for new clubs. Please email sportprograms@unc.edu if you have any questions.
Information about the process to start a new student organization may be found here.