Not everyone at Penn State can strap on the shoulder pads and step on the field at Beaver Stadium to play football in front of 100,000 fans.

For the rest of the student body, the university offers an alternative way to compete athletically. The Fall Semester will ring in a new season of Penn State intramural sports, and everyone is capable of participating.

Intramural sports allow the average Penn State student to compete in a wide variety of activities with other students of similar sporting interests and skills.

While not as competitive as the Division I-A teams that typically have recruited athletes playing on full scholarships, or even club sports that play on the intercollegiate level, IM sports provide a mix of fun and competitiveness.

"IM sports are especially good to keep active," said John Rosick, an intern at the intramural office. "I've been involved with the program for a year now, and I never realized how many stakes are involved in the games."

Part of Penn State Intramural's mission statement is "to encourage involvement in recreational sports as a supplement to the academic experience."

Some of the sports for the fall include softball, volleyball, basketball, and the most popular -- flag football.

Most of the sports are played at the flower gardens across from East Halls.

"We get about 350 teams signed up for football," said Rosick. "We're not as serious as club sports, but there's definitely a competitive aspect though."

Each IM sport has a men's, women's, residence hall, fraternity, and open/coed league for prospective athletes.

The open league is typically the largest league in all of the sports, Rosick said.

Once a student finds the sport they want to join and forms a team, they must pay a small registration fee, which typically ranges in cost from $25 to $30 per team.

Individual sports, such as tennis and squash, cost $3 per player for a season.

"I liked how relaxed it was and how it was geared on having fun," said Dan Geraghty (junior-marketing). "There's no pressure, but it's still competitive."

Geraghty played soccer this past spring in the fraternity league for Delta Sigma.

"I definitely think freshmen should get involved because you meet people and stay active," he said.

Gena Dahar (junior-advertising) said, "I liked the competitiveness because it's hard to play division one sports at Penn State. Most people played sports in high school, and once they get here, IM sports help relieve stress."

Even if students do not wish to play in any sports, the opportunity is available to participate as a referee. "We like to encourage students to referee and make a few extra bucks," Rosick said.

Those who want to participate in intramurals as a referee do not need experience in the sport they officiate because a preseason rules meeting is conducted at the IM Building. For more information, including a complete list of IM sports offered in the fall, go to the Penn State Intramurals web site at www.psu.edu/RecSports.