My Epic Flag Football Championship Experience

A unique stage that made for an unforgettable game…

This past year was the first time the intramural flag football championship game was held in the iconic Jordan-Hare Stadium. It wasn’t until the playoff brackets were released that my team and I realized that the two remaining teams would face off in THE Jordan-Hare Stadium. Needless to say, we started taking winning a lot more seriously. It was obvious that the other teams also wanted to make it to the championship for this reason games immediately started becoming a lot more competitive. I can say firsthand that Champ Night in Jordan-Hare is definitely worth the hype as it made for a night you will always remember.

The Regular Season

For anyone who hasn’t played intramural sports, you’re missing out. While championship night was the highlight of our season, there was never a boring moment throughout the season. Getting to play on a team, whether with your friends or with people you just met, is an exciting experience that gives you that “Friday Night Lights” feeling. I’d be lying if I said that I would’ve ever expected my team to win it all. In our very first game, which was considered a practice game, we lost by many touchdowns. Thankfully, it didn’t count towards our record. Then we continued to go 3-2 in the regular season, which means we barely made the playoffs.

The Playoffs

Once the playoffs began, it was obvious how much more people cared about winning. It was no longer just about playing for fun; it was about making it to the end and experiencing playing in the same stadium where some of the most legendary college football games have taken place. There were several games during the playoffs that we would end the first half down by a few touchdowns, and somehow would find a way to come back in the second half and pull ahead in the last minutes of the game to claim the victory and advance to the next playoff game. At first, we didn’t know how many rounds we could survive. But after each game we won, the possibility of us playing in Jordan-Hare got more and more real until it became a reality.

Playing Where Legends Have Walked

One thing that kept coming into my mind as I was on the field was the number of legends that have played where I was standing and the countless iconic plays that have happened here. People like Bo Jackson, Pat Sullivan, and Cam Newton called this field home. Not to mention the legends and championship teams that have played on it as visitors. Plays like The Kick 6 and The Prayer at Jordan-Hare made that stadium known as the place where magic happens, also one of the most feared places to play in all of college football.

Double Overtime

If the reputation of Jordan-Hare alone didn’t make the championship game unforgettable enough, the game itself was insane. It was neck and neck the entire game and ended up going into double overtime. In the second overtime, my team (Freeze Warning) got the ball first and we scored and got the extra point, making the score 28-21. The other team (Royal Flush) then had the opportunity to score and either tie the game with an extra point or win it all with a 2-point conversion. It took all 4 downs for Royal Flush to score. Then, to our surprise, they elected to go for the 2-point conversion, making that play the very last play of the game that determined the winner. I remember rushing the quarterback, and as he threw the ball, I looked at where he was throwing it. My heart sank when I saw that the ball was headed towards a wide-open receiver in the end-zone. Luckily, the receiver felt the pressure and dropped the pass, making us the intramural flag football champs! We were rewarded with t-shirts that displayed that we were the champions, but the real reward was getting to play in a stadium that has such a profound history.

Experience Intramural Sports for Yourself

Anyone who has played intramural sports at Auburn can tell you how fun it is, regardless of the sport. Even if you’re not the best at football, there are so many options to choose from and so many people to meet. I’ve also played intramural sand volleyball and basketball, so I can tell you firsthand that playing intramural sports makes your student experience here at Auburn so much better, in addition to being a good, fun way to stay active.

If you want to level up your time here at Auburn, visit the Auburn Rec and Wellness website here to learn more about intramural sports and register through RWC Connect. If you don’t have a team, don’t worry, you can sign up as a free agent so that teams that need an extra person can contact you about playing with them.

See you on the field!
Be Well, Auburn.