ISU students have been able to take full advantage of new basketball courts in Beyer Hall and State Gym this fall, and more improvements are on the way.

Some of the entertainment options the ISU recreation services provide include foosball tables in the Lied Recreation Center. The tournament-style foosball tables, introduced last year, sit right inside the entrance to the facility and intramural coordinator Gary Greenlee said they have become quite popular.

He said a few pool tables might be introduced, or maybe even air hockey in coming years.

Greenlee said another possible plan would be to replace the projection television with two big-screen televisions, which he said may happen by next fall.

Not only does the recreation services department provide entertainment, but also opportunity. For many people, the run-of-the-mill intramural sports don’t fulfill their true passions. Greenlee said the recreation services department understands this and has tried to provide chances for these people.

South of the Towers residence halls, some of the basketball courts are being reworked into a location for inline hockey.

“The inline hockey should be in full swing by next fall,” Greenlee said.

On top of hockey, the latest developments have been paintball. Many students have a passion for paintball, but the closest place to play is south of Des Moines.

Greenlee said the recreation service council is attempting to create a field for paintball.

During the past few years the ISU recreation services department has raised money and put that money towards improving their facilities, as well as new and exciting projects.

The largest recent change was done last summer in the State Gym and Beyer Hall.

The basketball floors in these two facilities had lead to some problems in intramural basketball.

The courts all shared similar sidelines, which means there was no safety zone. While two games were going on, a loose ball could easily interrupt the game right next to them. This led to many on court collisions and injuries.

The floor of the State Gym was also refinished and the courts were realigned to create a five-foot safety zone.

In Beyer, the floors were completely torn out and a new floor was put in. Similar to State Gym, the floors were realigned to create the same type of safety zone.

“I think the floor improvements have been a huge benefit to intramurals,” said Jeffrey Scholl, a long-time referee of intramural basketball. “We all remember when you could bounce the ball on the floor and not know what direction the ball would bounce back.”

The next plan for the State Gym is to tear out and replace the lighting. The cost is just under $50,000, but would bring the building’s lighting up to optimal conditions.

Another plan that is in the works is to upgrade the condition of the racquetball courts in Beyer Hall.

“The courts are generally known as the best in the state of Iowa, because of their concrete walls that produce a true bounce,” Greenlee said.

After years of wear and tear they just need to be updated, including redoing the floors, Greenlee said.