With a lack of top Division I athletics at Iowa State in the upcoming spring season – with the exception, of course, for softball, golf and track and field – club sports offer solid competition and a variety of options for the fan looking to watch a good game during the warming weather.

Club sports have expanded to include sports that may not be popular, nation-wide, as of yet but provide similar competition to larger sports and have hopes of expanding the popularity of the sport as Iowa State offers that opportunity.

Sports rising in popularity at Iowa State and across the nation include men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s rugby, and men’s and women’s ultimate frisbee.

“Iowa State and Iowa are the only teams in Iowa as of right now, and Drake is working on getting a team,” said Mike Pokorney, president of the men’s club lacrosse team. “We’re helping and trying to expand lacrosse in Iowa. It’s getting large in Minnesota, where the dominant teams in our league are, [University of Minnesota-Duluth and the University of Minnesota], so I think it’s a sport that’s evolving and a sport that kids are starting to get more involved and interested in.”

Lacrosse, a sport that is widely popular on the East Coast, was in the limelight and recognized in a time of scandal and the alleged raping of a stripper by three Duke lacrosse players. Despite having the nation’s eyes opened to the lacrosse itself, it was definitely not in the sport’s interest.

“The Duke incident definitely reflected on the lacrosse world negatively,” said Pokorney. “It made people generalize and stereotype the sport of lacrosse on some false allegations and turned lots of people away from the sport.”

Ultimate frisbee is another sport that is becoming widely popular and growing quickly as teams are appearing at universities across the nation.

“It’s something different and fun that allows us to keep in shape,” ultimate frisbee club member Michelle Johnson said. “It’s kind of a sport that everyone can come out and do.”

Although the spring season brings semi-rare sports into the spotlight, even sports that seem to be popular throughout the nation have a tough time generating interest with or without a Division I status. The ISU baseball club has seen both sides of the fence, and yet still feels unrecognized in comparison to the larger sports. Formerly a Division 1 program, the team was disbanded in 2001 and became a club sport.

“As a whole, I think people don’t care as much about baseball at ISU,” ISU baseball club president Bryan Scholar said. “Now that it’s gone, it’s not missed too much. I think it’s just not that big of a college sport in Iowa, and not as widely popular even throughout the nation, because it’s not televised, so nobody really knows teams and it’s hard for people to follow and know the top players like they do for football or basketball – because of lack of media coverage.”

Despite having students unfamiliar with some of the sports, and even without a strong fan base, the spring season offers participants in these club sports the opportunity to get outside and continue to play a sport they love, and for many of them a sport they played throughout high school.

“Having a lacrosse team here [at Iowa State] just really allowed me to continue playing lacrosse after high school,” sophomore lacrosse player Marc Basara said. “It’s a tough, physical game that’s just a lot of fun to play,” and that goes for all the club sports.

“The club [baseball] team gives kids the chance to continue playing at the collegiate level,” said sophomore Matt Harriman. “It’s a chance for guys who weren’t good enough to play Division I to not have to stop playing.”

So with the new spring season up and running, students’ opportunities to play and check out competition in the warm months ahead abound.