A new sport has swept college campuses this semester — on a broomstick. Quidditch, the mythical game played in the Harry Potter series, has been brought to life by muggles on campuses across the nation.
There’s no flying brooms, players “ride” broomsticks while running around a soccer field or handy open space. A ball takes the place of the quaffle, tennis rackets instead of beater bats. With 130 schools active in the Intercollegiate Quidditch Association on Facebook and a team from the founding school — Middlebury College — playing other college teams over spring break, could NCAA certification be far behind?
UWIRE affiliates report on the newest campus craze hitting IM fields.
Middlebury: Muggles fly to Quidditch pitch
On Nov. 11, college students from all over entered the world of “Harry Potter” during the first annual Intercollegiate Quidditch World Cup Festival at Middlebury College.
Syracuse: Taking Quidditch to the next level
Rafael Velez, a Middlebury freshman, said the broomstick-required rule sets this game apart from other versions of Quidditch. It levels the playing field between athletes and non-athletes, he said, because “you can’t do as much with a broomstick between your legs.”
Penn: Quidditch clinic adds magic to muggles’ lives at Penn
“I think it’s one of those things where people watch on the sidelines and are like, ‘this is so stupid,’ but you can tell that they’re having an inner dilemma. You can tell that they absolutely want to play.” - Donny Dickson, Middlebury College freshman
UMass: Quidditch fever hits the airwaves
With sleet and rain falling on a snow-covered ground, Amherst College’s quad hosted the first nationally televised Quidditch match ever.
Ohio U. Ohio U. swept up by Quidditch
“It’s not like you need a Firebolt 3000 and new flying technology. If they have it, yeah we’ll take it, but at this point we’re perfectly fine running around with a broomstick between our legs.” - Ohio U. student Brian Goren
Ohio State Quidditch becomes a reality
On a Thursday evening, the athletic fields outside Lincoln Tower are filled with students. Some lazily toss around a Frisbee, while others send soccer balls flying into nylon nets. And then there’s the group running around with brooms and pelting each other with rubber balls. No, this isn’t a story for the police blotter. It’s the opening practice of the Ohio State’s Quidditch Club.
Dartmouth: Hogwarts in Hanover: Quidditch sweeps the Green
To entertain the audience and players alike, snitches sometimes flap their arms while running around the court and, after disappearing at the beginning of the game, re-enter creatively. Saturday’s snitches escaped behind Baker-Berry Library, hid behind Rollins Chapel and even drove around the Green in the Middlebury team’s van.
Va. Commonwealth U. Quidditch comes to VCU
Amber Cummings, one of the team’s keepers, said she almost had her teeth knocked out by a teammate’s broom during practice. “The brooms have a tendency to hit people in the face,” Cummings said.
Harvard: Intercollegiate Quidditch takes off, not yet literally
“We are the school that most resembles Hogwarts. We can’t drop the ball on this one. Pun intended.” - Christina M. Giordano
Boston U.: “As college kids we need to relax a bit more than we do. I also think a lot of people - especially at BU since BU is such a demanding school - forget that we are supposed to have fun when we are young and be a little ridiculous.” - Sean Culleton, Boston U. sophomore
U. Oregon: Harry Potter fans take to the Quidditch field
“It’s very odd. It’s not every day you see a muggle quidditch team, so I thought I’d check it out.” - freshman chemistry major Jason Cook
Column: College Quidditch? Oh Bloody Hell
Now I have to say this: I read and loved Harry Potter, I stood in massive crowds at midnight in Barnes and Noble. I laughed, I cried, I threw the book at the wall a few times. But never did I feel the urge to run around with a broomstick between my legs and a makeshift Snitch hanging out of my pants.
Column: Quidditch to become LSU’s sport of choice
I have been to the edge, I have seen the wonders to behold there and I am convinced football’s days as this school’s pride and joy are numbered.