This is an archived version of the University Catalog and is no longer being maintained. References to people, offices, policies, and web links may be outdated. View the current catalog or email catalog@csuchico.edu for updated information. Students who have catalog rights to this version of the catalog should check with an advisor for graduation requirements.

Skip to Side Navigation Skip to Content Skip to Accessibility Settings

Recreational Sports

More than 7,000 students participate annually in Chico State Recreational Sports programs. Recreational Sports offers students the opportunity for fun, exercise, competition, social interaction, and stress release in an on-campus sports setting. This comprehensive recreational sports program includes activities for men, women, and coeducational groups. The program offers both competitive and recreational opportunities for students, staff, and faculty.

All Recreational Sports programs are free to all current Chico State students.

Recreational Sports programming includes open recreation, recreational clubs, special events, intramural sports, and sport clubs.

Open Recreation

Several hours are reserved on a daily basis in each of the Recreational Sports facilities for student walk-in use. Students can play basketball in Acker Gymnasium, use the cardiovascular equipment in the fitness room, tone up in the weight room, or try the climbing wall.

Recreational Clubs

Several student sports-related organizations use Recreational Sports facilities as a place to practice. These organizations focus on skill development and participation and welcome new student participation. These clubs include underwater hockey, wrestling, fencing, and badminton.

Special Events

Recreational Sports offers approximately 30 special events each year. Special events are one-day or weekend student sports activities. Some special events are typical sports activities such as a softball tournament, while some special events are more unusual, such as innertube water polo. Some of the more popular special events include night golf, three-on-three basketball, and the annual whiffleball tournament.

Intramural Sports

Recreational Sports runs several student sport leagues each semester. Students can enter their own team or join a team as a free agent. Leagues are divided into different skill and gender divisions. Teams play once a week for five weeks at a regular day and time. Most leagues have a two-week, single elimination post season tournament. Recreational Sports provides sports officials for many leagues, while others are self-officiated. Intramural Sports include flag football, spring and fall basketball, spring and fall volleyball, indoor and outdoor soccer, arena football, tennis, softball, and ultimate frisbee.

Sport Clubs

Sport Clubs are student-organized, student-run sports teams. The purpose of these groups is to allow members to compete at a high level of competition. Sport Clubs represent the University in their respective leagues as they compete against other university teams. Many Chico State sport clubs are nationally ranked and regularly compete at the national level. In addition to involvement in the sport, these teams provide excellent opportunities for student leadership. Sport Club teams receive partial funding from the University. Teams raise the remainder of their annual budgets through fundraising and team dues. Sport Club teams include men's lacrosse, women's lacrosse, men's rugby, women's rugby, inline hockey, men's volleyball, women's volleyball, men's ultimate frisbee, women's ultimate frisbee, field hockey, men's water polo, women's water polo, cycling, water skiing, and men's soccer.

Job Opportunities

Recreational Sports offers numerous on-campus employment opportunities each semester, employing approximately 50-60 students at any given time. Job opportunities include sports officials for all officiated intramural sports, sport supervisors for all intramural sports, facility supervisors for all open recreation activities, lifeguards for all pool programming, and climbing wall staff for instructing students on climbing wall techniques and safety.

Wildcat Recreation Center

Opened in Summer 2009, the Wildcat Recreation Center (WREC) has become a central hub of activity for Chico State students. The WREC is a one-stop shop for all students' exercise and recreation activities. Choices abound in this state-of-the-art facility.

Basic Information

The WREC is an Associated Students facility that is 130,000 square feet in size. It is located west of the university parking structure on Cherry Street, between 1st and 2nd Streets. Hours of operation are 6:00 am to midnight daily. Student fees fund the WREC so no membership fee is required. To insure only Chico State students use the WREC, a biometric hand reader (that records the structure of the hand) serves as access control in lieu of student identification cards. The WREC is considered a "Green" building and has a LEED Silver Sustainability Certification.

Weights and Fitness

The WREC boasts over 80 weight machines and another 80 cardiovascular machines. Over 60 of the cardiovascular machines have their own television screens. In addition to being able to watch television programs of their choice, students using the cardiovascular machines can also dock their iPods to watch downloaded movies or music videos.

Students needing help getting started with a fitness routine have lots of support choices. Along with access to fitness trainers who can design personalized fitness programs, the WREC also provides counseling in the areas of nutrition and fitness motivation.

Group Fitness

One of the major focuses of the WREC is providing student opportunities for group exercise. The second floor of the WREC is home to four separate group exercise studios. Types of classes include, but are not limited to, yoga, Pilates, aerobics, Zumba, spinning, and more.

Open Recreation

In addition to the fitness activity options, students have many other open recreation choices. Students can drop in the WREC to use the 1/8 mile elevated running track, swim in the 25-yard x 25-meter pool, utilize the 12-person spa, climb the 35-foot climbing wall, play basketball, indoor soccer, and much more.

Adventure Outings

The WREC is also the new home to Adventure Outings, the campus outdoor adventure program. As well as running the climbing wall at the WREC, Adventure Outings provides students with over 40 outdoor trips each semester to areas in California and many western states. Students can sign up at the Adventure Outings Customer Service Center in the main lobby of the WREC. Adventure Outings also provides equipment rental opportunities, bike repair services, and water based recreation at the Oroville Forebay Aquatic Center (FAC). The FAC offers year round aquatic programs such as rowing, canoeing, kayaking, sailing, wake boarding, water skiing and more.

Recreational Sports

Besides Adventure Outings, the WREC is also home to Recreational Sports. Recreational Sports provides intramural sports and sport club opportunities for students. In intramurals, each semester participants compete against other Chico State students in a variety of sports such as flag football, basketball, soccer and volleyball. In Sport Clubs, students can participate in either recreational or competitive Sport Clubs. Student recreational clubs are organizations that practice their craft non-competitively. Groups include martial arts, dance, fencing, etc. Student competitive clubs are teams that compete intercollegiately in sports such as lacrosse, rugby, cycling and much more.

Climbing Wall

A 35-foot climbing wall serves as the dominant visual anchor in the WREC. The climbing wall has 13 billet stations and a repel ledge. A separate 60-foot bouldering wall is also available for climbing without a harness. Designed by a Chico State alumnus, the climbing wall offers quality climbing opportunities for the experienced and beginners. Lessons, along with all necessary equipment, are provided for student participants.

Aquatics

The WREC boasts a 25-meter x 25-yard outdoor pool. This solar heated aquatic facility provides swimming opportunities for both the diehard lap swimmers and the recreational or social swimmers. Recreational Sports also uses the pool to host intramural sporting events such as innertube water polo. Group exercise classes, like water aerobics, are also held in the pool. Just want to chill out? A 12-person spa is also available for student relaxation. Students can also enjoy music and socializing while catching some sun in the pool lounge area.

Social Atmosphere

With the open architecture of the WREC, participants are able to see from one activity space into many others. This "see" and "be seen" atmosphere is intended to promote the social nature of the facility. The social atmosphere of the WREC is also promoted by the wireless connectivity throughout the building, the social seating areas, the large plasma televisions, the 12-person spa, pool lounge area, and the WREC coffee cart.

Job Opportunities

The WREC is home to approximately 150 student positions each semester. From lifeguards and sports officials to group exercise instructors and facility supervisors, there are numerous employment opportunities at the WREC. Opportunities also exist for internships and graduate assistantships in the areas of Recreational Sports, Marketing, Facility Operations, and more.

Catalog Cycle:11