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About Sport Clubs

Student athletes aim big

Sport Clubs at Colorado State have a long tradition of excellence that we proudly work to maintain. Club participation provides opportunities to build community while achieving personal growth through high-level competition and leadership. You can find answers to frequently asked questions about the Sport Club Program below.

OVER 30 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Baseball: 6
Climbing: 2
Cycling: 2
Disc Golf: 1
Ice Hockey, Men’s: 1
Lacrosse, Men’s: 5
Lacrosse, Women’s: 5
Shotgun Sports: 1
Soccer, Women’s: 4
Equine Polo: 4
Rodeo: 3

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Testimonials from Sport Club athletes and leaders

“Being a part of the CSU Triathlon club team has been one of the most positive and rewarding experiences of my college career. Not only has it provided me with incredible opportunities to compete at a higher level as a triathlete, but it’s also given me some of the best friends I have. It’s a strong community that I’m proud to be a part of, and I really hope it grows moving forward.”
“I’m not sure I would’ve made through my first semester at CSU without this club. Despite friend troubles and being several states away from home, this team was a steady presence in the storm, and I’ve come to view my teammates as family. The Triathlon Club was my escape from the pressures of schoolwork and social life.”
“Joining the CSU Logging Sports Team has been an amazing way to try something new and meet a great community. Most of my campus involvement is tied to my major, so this team helps me stay active, exercise outdoors, and take a break from campus life. It’s been mentally and physically refreshing, allowing me to challenge myself and build teamwork skills in a fun, unique environment.”
“Swim Club has not only been a refuge and an outlet, but a beacon of light and hope throughout my personal and academic life at CSU.”
“I feel included and recognized as a club athlete; it gives me an additional perspective on my sense of self at school.”
“Wrestling for me makes me a better person. I am more fit, eating better, working out more which improves my overall daily life and schoolwork. This club is also very friendly and I feel like I belong.”
“Participating in sports clubs is important to me because they're the one place on campus where I feel at home. I'm grateful that three times a week, I can move my body, hang out with some of my closest friends, and learn more about my sport. I can't imagine going to CSU without Ultimate Frisbee; it makes every week so much better.”
“As a transfer student, soccer gave me a family and an outlet from school stress. I joined clubs, became a board member, and now serve as safety officer, aiming to run for President or VP next year. The club has provided goals, opportunities like being a Girls D1 practice player and a routine that keeps me focused on school. I’m grateful for the connections, support, and growth this club has given me.”
“My participation in sports clubs in college is so incredibly important to maintaining my mental health as well as holding myself accountable outside of classes and practices. Sport Clubs overall impact on my student experience here at CSU has been unimaginable, I would never expect to be surrounded by such supportive people and could participate in such a rewarding sport.”
“Sport club participation, for me, is an opportunity to not only let loose and have fun with my friends after hard weeks of study, but also compete in cool places with cool people I can learn a lot from. Shotgun sports specifically has been a great source of leisure, fun, and competitiveness over the years and has greatly improved my experience at CSU.”
“Being on this team is the peak of my student CSU experience without a doubt.”
“This team gives me a sense of belonging, purpose, and connection to CSU, making me feel part of something bigger than myself.”
“Being part of the CSU Disc Golf team has been a rewarding experience. As president and a member for three years, I've gained valuable leadership and teamwork skills that complement my mechanical engineering studies. Balancing athletics and academics has helped me grow personally and professionally, making my time at CSU more fulfilling”

Sport Club FAQs

Sport Clubs are student-run, student-led organizations formed by fee-paying students voluntarily organized for the purpose of furthering their common interests through competition and community. The Sport Clubs Program consists of diverse student organizations that celebrate, support, and affirm CSU students of all backgrounds via equity, diversity, and inclusion while actively challenging biases. The program enhances campus life by encouraging student leadership development and representation of CSU in healthy competition against other schools across the country. Sport Clubs are overseen and supported through the Department of Campus Recreation. While organizations receive funding from the University, a majority of their funding comes from the collection of athlete dues and fundraising. These Clubs also operate within the guidelines of the Sport Clubs Program, Colorado State University, and their national governing bodies.

Joining procedures vary from Club to Club. Some Clubs conduct tryouts to join at the start of their designated competition season, other Clubs allow individuals to join all school year. Contact a Club directly via their email to determine their procedures for joining. Each Club’s direct contact information can be found on their page on the Sport Clubs website. After contact with the Club has been made and the student has been invited to join, they must complete all required forms to participate via IMLeagues prior to and to continue participation in the Club.

Sport Clubs are run by student Officers. The Officers are responsible for the successful operation of the Club including but not limited to budgeting, scheduling practices, coordinating league schedules, planning events, fundraising, policy adherence, and communicating with Sport Clubs professional and student staff. The success of individual Clubs and the Sport Club Program is dependent on the professionalism and leadership shown by the Club Officers. Sport Clubs are required to have Faculty/Staff Advisors who advise the officer boards. Additionally, most Clubs have coaches who vary in degree of input/responsibility, but whose focus is competition/coaching rather than Club administration, direction, and decision-making.

Yes. Member dues are written into the constitution of every recognized Sport Club. These member dues vary from Club to Club. To inquire about costs associated with a specific Club, please reach out to the Club directly via their email. Additional costs such as travel, uniforms, etc. may apply and might be separate from member dues based on the structure of the Sport Club. Athletes can apply for dues support through the Sport Club Equity Fund.  Applications start at the start of each Fall and Spring semester. A link to the application is on the “Current Athletes” page on our website.

Clubs are funded through the following means:

  • The Sport Clubs Program allocates student fee money directly to Clubs to partially support their operational costs. Allocation amounts are determined via the “Points” system and “Violation Matrix”. See the Sport Clubs Manual on our website for more information
  • Club dues or membership fees collected directly from athletes
  • Club fundraising projects
  • Donations to Sport Clubs

Sport Clubs who are in good standing are additionally eligible for supplemental postseason competition funding.

Donations to individual Sport Club teams can be made online.

Yes. Sport Clubs are fortunate to have an Athletic Trainer available during the academic year, primarily covering competitions and some on-campus practices, as well as serving as the facilitator for concussion baseline testing and return-to-play protocol. The Athletic Trainer has office hours which are open to ALL Sport Club athletes that are communicated consistently with Sport Club Officers. Sport Clubs are also required to have a Safety Officer (certified in CPR/First Aid) present at all activities for emergency response and injury/incident reporting.

Please contact the CSU Athletic Trainer at csurecat@gmail.com if you are a current Sport Club athlete and would like to request athletic training services.

This varies by Club. Clubs are student-led but some have coaches. Sport Club Coaches are not CSU employees, but some are paid for their services by the Club. Coaches are supervised by the Club Officers and the Assistant Director, Sport Clubs. Clubs are first and foremost student-led organizations; it is important to note that internal organization and decision-making of the Club is the responsibility of the Club Officers. The primary role of a Coach is to identify opportunities to provide a positive influence on members, both in terms of skill development and interpersonal development.

Sport Clubs are:
  • Student-led and student-organized
  • Overseen and supported by Campus Recreation
  • Responsible for their own operations including budgeting, scheduling, policy adherence, equipment management, peer education, and community service
  • Able to travel and compete against other universities and colleges
  • Required to compete under a collegiate governing body and are not associated with the NCAA
  Intramural Sports are:
  • More recreational than Sport Clubs
  • Fully organized and managed by Campus Recreation
  • Colorado State students competing against other Colorado State students
  • On-campus, limited-duration events or 4-week “seasons” for a specific sport in league style format
  Varsity Sports are:
  • Teams that compete as part of (the) CSU’s Division 1 Athletics Department
  • Governed by the NCAA and Mountain West Athletic Conference
  • Not led and organized by students – students only participate as athletes.

On average our student-athletes commit six hours a week to practice. Club activity ranges from two to five practices per week. Students in leadership roles (may) commit more hours than our average student-athlete through their leadership and administrative duties. Additionally, travel commitment for competitions varies depending on the club, location, and competition type (tournament or single competition). Our clubs travel as far east as North Carolina, as far South as Texas/Arizona, and all throughout the Midwest and West Coast.

Anyone with a Student Recreation Center membership is eligible to participate in the Sport Club Program. On-campus full fee-paying students are automatically eligible since a Student Recreation Center membership is included in their student fees. Faculty, staff, part-time students, online students, and their spouse/partner are eligible to participate in the Sport Clubs Program if a membership is purchased. Any individual Club’s constitution can include more specific restrictions of who can and cannot participate based on their capacity, if tryouts are required, if their governing body allows non-student athletes to compete, etc. Only active student members are eligible to serve as Officers for a Sport Club.

Each Sport Club athlete is required to maintain a 2.00 cumulative grade point average (GPA). If a student falls below a 2.00 cumulative GPA the student has one semester to bring the GPA above a 2.00. (AP1 & AP2 >1.0 =probation) During the first semester, a student will not be allowed to participate with their Club until meeting with the Assistant Director, Sport Clubs, and may not be permitted to participate for the entire semester dependent upon the Assistant Director’s discretion. If a student fails to bring their cumulative GPA above a 2.00 before the next semester, they may not be permitted to participate in any Club activities.

The CSU 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 Club is dependent on the organization, management, professionalism and leadership shown by the club officers, student members and coaches. Student leaders run the day-to-day operations and execute a long-term vision for the Club, which include scheduling practices, organizing competitions and community events, working with league and conference officials, making travel arrangements, building sustainable partnerships via competition, overseeing the short-term organizational management and long-term financial planning for the Club. Sport Club Officers will develop transferrable skills that serve them beyond their time at CSU.

We take our responsibility ensuring CSU Sport Clubs are supportive, safe, and equitable spaces seriously. If you have noticed problematic or concerning behaviors within a Club please report them here ( (https://forms.office.com/r/vKa3weFPqe)You may complete this anonymously.

The Sport Clubs Office is located in the Student Rec Center lobby, past the climbing wall and Intramural Sports Office.

Connect with a Team

For questions or concerns or for disability-related accommodations, contact allie.bogard@colostate.edu or stephen.ma@colostate.edu or call (970) 491-3793.