Although Iowa State is not one of Sports Illustrated’s top 50 “Jock Schools” in the United States, the university was recognized in the magazine’s latest issue.

Cyclones can take pride in knowing that they have the strangest intramural passion: broomball, according to the magazine.

Since 1972, students have been playing this relatively strange sport. Started in Canada, the idea for broomball spread to ISU and quickly became one of the most popular intramural sports.

In the beginning, the sport was played outdoors, at an area north of Beyer Hall in the dead of winter with a homemade ice rink, said Linda Marticke, intramural coordinator for Iowa State.

Broomball is played like ice hockey, but minus the ice skates. Broomball players run across the ice in their sneakers and carry “brooms” to hit a ball. The broom, a 3-foot long stick with an orange rubber flipper on the end, is used to hit a miniature soccer ball into the opposing team’s net.

Before Iowa State started using the modern-day brooms, players used actual brooms, which were dipped in a solution to make the bristles bond together so they wouldn’t fall out.

Now, ISU gets more than 300 broomball teams of men and women in the fall semesters. There’s about 180 teams this spring.

“Broomball is not really a dangerous sport. Many people come out of the games with some bruises but nothing really serious. The worst thing that has ever happened is that a girl broke her leg, but that happened a few years ago and it was kind of a freak accident. I don’t think students have anything to worry about, though,” Marticke said.

Though not the most prestigious award, several students said they were proud to see ISU recognized in Sports Illustrated.

Kyle Kenkel, a sophomore in exercise and sports science, is an avid player. His team went all the way to intramural semi-finals. “I thought it was cool that Iowa State received recognition for an intramural sport.”

Marticke said she expected broomball to be popular because it is such an unusual sport. She said students like unusual activities, and broomball is strange enough for just about anyone.

John Young, a freshman in mechanical engineering, said, “I have played broomball for two semesters now. I think it kicks ass. It is so much fun because you get to run around on the ice without skates so you don’t have as much control. I think it is one of the more competitive sports here and it is a little more popular than the rest since it is so different.”