You see them everywhere on campus. They come in a kaleidoscope of colors and designs that change each year.

Somewhere on campus, someone is wearing an intramural championship T-shirt.

Aside from beating Iowa and winning Big 12 championships, winning an intramural championship T-shirt is the most desired athletic achievement by ISU students, said Garry Greenlee, associate director of recreation services.

Greenlee said awarding T-shirts to intramural champions has always been a part of intramurals.

“I’ve been here 25 years,” Greenlee said. “We’ve been doing it for 25 years, and before then. It’s just a part of intramurals.”

Dan Gilkerson, sophomore in pre-business, has won five T-shirts in his two years at Iowa State. He said there is a sense of prestige in wearing a championship T-shirt around campus.

“[The prestige is] knowing that you’re good enough to win one of these shirts against all these other people,” Gilkerson said. “Everyone else wants those shirts, but you’re the one that has them.”

Sara Moeller, freshman in materials engineering and intramurals chairman for O’Bryan house in Friley Hall, said there is something special about winning a T-shirt. Moeller has a shirt she took from her boyfriend, but it doesn’t carry with it the same sense of accomplishment she believes winning one would.

“[Winning a T-shirt] gives you something you can appreciate, that you put your time and effort into something worthwhile,” she said.

Tim Nevins, sophomore in computer engineering, has won one T-shirt in his three years at Iowa State. Not only is winning a T-shirt an accomplishment — but it is also a great form of intimidation, he said.

“You can wear it when you play intramurals,” Nevins said. “It’s like, ‘I’m already a champion. I’ve got this under my belt.'”

Each of the 11 division champions in each team sport receive T-shirts, Greenlee said. Recreation Services produces more than 2,000 T-shirts a year.

“You can be an average or below-average athlete and you can win [a championship T-shirt in] class D, which took effort and accomplishment,” Greenlee said.