Sport Clubs FAQ

Student-run, student-led organizations formed by fee-paying student's college-age or above, voluntarily organized for the purpose of furthering their common interests in a physical activity through participation and competition, recognized through the Recreational Sports Department. Though these organizations receive funding from the University, a majority of their funding comes from the collection of dues and fundraising. These clubs also operate within the guidelines of the Sport Club Office and their national governing bodies (i.e. USA Rugby, USA Cycling, NIRSA, etc).

There are 32 sport clubs recognized by the Sport Club Office 26 of which travel and compete as representatives of Chico State. The six that do not travel are recreational in nature and practice and perform locally.

Sport Clubs are student organizations that travel and compete against other universities and colleges as part of a collegiate circuit or season and are not associated with the NCAA. Intramurals are Chico State students competing against other Chico State Students in a tournament or league organized by the University. Students that participate in intramurals do not travel as all competitions are conducted locally. The teams that compete as part of the Athletics Department are governed by the NCAA and CCAA (California Collegiate Athletic Association).

Any regularly enrolled Chico State student, currently enrolled in 6.0 units or more. Further restrictions may apply depending on the club’s league, conference, regional governing body, or national governing body. Student-athletes must have primary medical insurance to participate and remain in good academic standing with the university.

To participate with a sport club, student-athletes must remain in good academic standing with the University. A participant with a cumulative and Chico State GPA greater than 2.0 is considered to be in good academic standing with the University.

Joining procedures vary from club to club. Some clubs conduct tryouts to join, other clubs allow walk-on's all school year. Contact the club you are interested in joining to determine their procedures. Club officers’ contact information can be found on the club’s Wildcat Sync page. After contact with the club has been made and the student has been invited to join the club. The student must complete a sport club membership application with the Sport Club Office through DSE. This application must be approved to continue participation with a club.

Yes, students may participate in multiple clubs. Though each club has its own time commitment. Please discuss the time commitment with the club’s officers to establish the best fit for you. Additionally, there is a cost for participation with clubs in the form of dues. Students participating in multiple clubs are required to pay the dues of each club they participate in.

Emailing the club is the best option to make the first contact. The best points of contact for the clubs are the students that make up their officer boards. The emails for club officers can be found on the roster section of the club’s Wildcat Sync profile. Click here for links to the clubs’ contacts.

Is there cost associated with sport club participation?

Dues are written into the constitution of every recognized sport club at Chico State. These dues vary from club to club. To inquire about a specific club’s dues, please contact the club’s treasurer. Additional costs such as travel, jerseys, and/or attire may apply.

On average our student-athletes commit six hours a week to practice. Students in leadership roles may commit more hours than our average student-athlete. Additionally, travel commitment for competitions varies depending on the location and competition type (tournament or single game). Our clubs travel as far south as San Diego, CA, and as far North as Seattle, WA. Most away competitions take place in the Bay Area 3 ½ hours south of Chico.

During the semester, a majority of our club’s travel on the weekend, Friday – Sunday. On rare occasions, such as post-season travel, our clubs travel during the weekday. There is very limited travel that occurs during winter and summer breaks.

Our clubs’ level of competition varies from recreation to highly competitive. This depends on the club’s leadership for the year and the path that the club has chosen to take for the coming year. Additional factors such as the difficulty of a league or conference schedules may affect the level of competition of our clubs. However, a majority or the clubs accept athletes of all skill levels and experience.