The University of Michigan holds a special place in NIRSA history. It is where NIRSA’s founder Dr. William N. Wasson received his second master’s degree and his Ed.D in 1949 and 1954, respectively. It is where he studied under Elmer Mitchell, the man who today is widely recognized as the “father of intramural sports.”
The University of Michigan also claims North America’s first collegiate recreation program, established in 1913 and the Ann Arbor campus is home to the first ever facility dedicated to recreation on a college campus, the Intramural Sports Building, which opened its doors in 1928. And the University of Michigan has continued to make great strides to enhance the student experience since celebrating its centennial in 2013.
Fitness programming was added to the department portfolio in 2014 and Esports was added in 2019.
Two of the three comprehensive facilities on campus have been renovated, with the historic Intramural Sports Building reopening in 2016 and the North Campus Recreation Building reopening in 2018.
Also in 2018, the influence and advocacy of great student leaders led to an additional commitment from the University and a fundraising initiative through the Office of University Development that shifted campus’ third facility, known as the Central Campus Recreation Building, from a $45 million renovation to a $150 million rebuild. With $20 million donation pledged to the project in 2023, the facility will reopen in 2025 as the Hadley Family Center for Recreation and Well-Being.
While plans for the new facility were being redeveloped, UM joined seven other universities in adopting the Okanagan Charter in 2021 and as of January 1, 2024, the department of Recreational Sports has shifted their place in Student Life, moving from an auxiliary unit to one within the Health & Wellness portfolio.
The years since our centennial celebrations at The University of Michigan’s Recreational Sports have been transformational, and with the change already in the works for the next few years, the department will continue to share its storied history while also adapting for the needs of its current students.
- For more information, please contact Lexi Chaput, Senior Assistant Director of Recreational Sports at the University of Michigan.
- If you are interested in highlighting your campus or a NIRSA member’s achievements on your campus, pitch us your ideas.
Lexi Chaput currently the Senior Assistant Director of Sport Programs and Development at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor; she serves as a member of the NIRSA History & Legacy Committee and Co-Chair of NIRSA's 75th Anniversary Celebration Committee. She can be reached at lexic@umich.edu.
