With Homecoming traditions well under way, tournament time is finally here. Competitions range from an ice-cream eating contest to volleyball matches.

One popular tournament is treds football, a combination of flag football and ultimate frisbee using the “Nerf-like” rubber treds ball. The cardinal division, made up of greek pairings, competed Tuesday night at Lied Recreation Athletic Center.

“It’s fast-paced and always a competitive atmosphere,” said Bryce Johnson, treds referee and CySquad member, a group that helps the Homecoming Central Committee throughout the week. “The game can change at any moment in treds. I’m looking forward to refereeing upcoming games because you get really involved with both teams as if you’re playing, but get to make all of the calls too.”

Participation in Homecoming tournaments is an honor for some.

“I’m excited to get on the turf and play, because it’s an event where I can competitively compete in a sport with my brothers,” said Charlie Heidrick, member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. “Most of us grew up playing organized sports, and in college those times seem to become rare. This event stands out because it often gets very heated and physical.

“It’s also a very tiring sport, so everyone that competes is getting incredibly tired and also banged up from that turf … nobody likes losing when they’re in that kind of condition.”

With “Cyclone State of Mind” being the theme for this year’s Homecoming, Kristyn Leinen, Homecoming Central’s tournament co-chairwoman, said the tournaments are great because they add something extra to make the week even more special.

“Anyone can choose to compete in tournaments and either compete competitively or just for the sheer fun of it,” Leinen said. “It helps get them in that Homecoming spirit and makes the week even more memorable.”

Tournaments are available for all ISU students.

“Homecoming tournaments are not only for those in the greek community,”  said Jacob Venner, Homecoming Central’s tournament co-chairman. “We offer tournaments in basketball, volleyball and Nintendo 64 for non-affiliated students as well.”