NIRSA and NIRSA associate member Club Colors are teaming up once again to offer campuses the opportunity to purchase customized Rec Day T-shirts and other swag like water bottles, cinch bags, and sweatpants. Make sure to place your order before Monday, February 3 so your items arrive on your campus before the Association’s 75th anniversary on February 22, 2025!
Take the Rec Day 2025 Pledge
Is your school going to celebrate NIRSA’s 75th birthday by planning, promoting, and executing 2025 National Recreational Sports & Fitness Day festivities? On (or around) February 22 every year, campus recreation departments across North America remember the vision set in motion by Dr. William Wasson and his esteemed colleagues at the first NIRSA Conference which took place in 1950. This conference established the National Intramural Association (NIA) which today is known as NIRSA: Leaders in Collegiate Recreation.
Complete and submit the NIRSA Recreational Sports & Fitness Day Pledge form so your school is recognized as an active Rec Day 2025 participant! After taking the pledge, share photos and videos of your campus’ Rec Day celebrations—include the #RecDay hashtag in your social media posts so NIRSA (across Instagram, LinkedIn, and X) can help spread word about how your school is celebrating this milestone NIRSA birthday. For Facebook, make sure to tag our page in your post about Rec Day 2025.
Join the Foundation to celebrate the 2nd annual Founders Day of Giving
As campuses across the continent celebrate Rec Day 2025, we’re asking that individual NIRSA members—student, professional, life, emeritus, retired, and associate—honor the founders of the NIRSA (originally known as the NIA) by making either a one-time donation or by pledging a recurring contribution to the NIRSA Foundation. February 22, 2024 marked the very first Founders Day of Giving. Please help us make the second annual Founders Day of Giving even more memorable! The Foundation is delighted to announce that Founders Day donations will be matched thanks to Centers LLC and the Anonymous Donor Circle. The final match amount will be announced soon.
Learn more
Dr. William Wasson founded the NIA on February 22, 1950 when he brought 20 intramural directors from 11 Historically Black Colleges and Universities together to share his research on collegiate recreation. The founding members of the Association were committed to celebrating health, activity, competition, and inclusive participation. NIRSA members all over the world now celebrate this founding date as Rec Day. You can learn more about this special event, download official logos, and even see how members celebrated Rec Day in 2024 by visiting the Rec Day/Founders Day page of the NIRSA website.