A total of 10,640 Iowa State students participated in intramurals last year.

With those kinds of numbers to boast, it is a wonder what makes so many people compete.

One answer — the coveted intramural t-shirt.

Given to the winning team for each intramural sport, the illustrious t-shirt has become an Iowa State tradition.

“I think we all want to have a shirt just to flex on everyone on campus,” said Jacob Bohler, a freshman majoring in software engineering whose team fell short in the basketball semifinals this year.

The shirt is not purchasable at any store on campus and can be seen on the backs of only the winning teams.

In total, there are currently 47 different avenues of competition for Iowa State students and alumni pass holders to participate in, with more coming in the future.

With sports varying from basketball to the newly added eSports Rocket League, there is an opportunity for everyone to win themselves a shirt.

“The shirt is a reminder of the hard work we put into our games and the outcome of the determination and perseverance I put into the sport with my friends,” said Rishab Narendra, who won his intramural t-shirt playing 3 vs. 3 basketball during the summer last year.

One of the best things about intramurals at Iowa State is that they are divided into whatever section of competition you want to play against.

For example, in larger sports such as basketball, teams can sign up for “A-league,” which is the most competitive and usually reserved for past players with a lot of experience, or “D-league,” which is for players with little-to-no experience.

There are also “B” and “C” divisions in between for intermediate skill level players.

In some cases, such as basketball, there is a vast number of teams, so certain divisions have more than one winner.

While the goal is to ultimately have fun for every student, it is the t-shirt that keeps bringing students back every year.

“You can’t carry a trophy around with you all the time, but you proudly wear your intramural champion t-shirt often to show your superiority,” said intramural coordinator and t-shirt creator Linda Marticke.

The t-shirt tradition started in the fall of 1977 when Marticke thought the idea was neat and that Iowa State should try it.

After finding a student to do the first design, the idea took off. Ever since, Marticke has been designing new shirts with the help of the company Intensitee every year.

When creating a slogan for the shirt, Marticke usually aims for one that describes the feeling of winning an intramural championship.

The current t-shirt design’s slogan is “Proud to be One.”

According to Marticke, the best part of the shirt isn’t the shirt itself — it is the story each one tells.

“I have run into alumni who have theirs and never get rid of them because of the memory value that the shirt holds for them,” Marticke said.

With intramural participation numbers rising ever since the creation of the t-shirt, it is safe to say that the intramural t-shirt has been an enjoyable Iowa State tradition — one that will not be going away anytime soon.