Every year on February 22, NIRSA members celebrate Recreational Sports & Fitness Day in commemoration of NIRSA’s founding date. Rec Day is an occasion to remember when Dr. William Wasson brought 20 intramural professionals from 11 Historically Black Colleges and Universities together to share his research on collegiate recreation. February 22, 1950 was the start of NIRSA: Leaders in Collegiate Recreation, an association beloved by so many today.
What began as 11 HBCU schools coming together to discuss intramurals is today a phenomenon all about supporting the idea that recreation on campus matters and has value. Check out these amazing snapshots of #RecDay 2025 celebrations from campuses nationwide!
California State University, Stanislaus, Campus Recreation, celebrated with volleyball, esports, and giveaways – check out their red and gold Rec Day shirts!
The University of Tennessee Knoxville Rec Sports had everything from a mechanical bull to mini golf to a taco bar!
The pro staff at the University of Pittsburgh Campus Rec ended their day with a sneak peek at the future home of Pitt Campus Rec! We can’t wait to see the completed space!
Rec Day + Celebrating 10 years of the Student Life Center were celebrated at SUNY Cortland Campus Recreation with splatter art, climbing wall bingo, giveaways, cake, and more! They even had their Police K9 Pup sporting their shirts!
Montclair State University Campus Rec brought the fun with a prize wheel full of awesome goodies and Rec Day shirts! They wrapped up the night with Black History Month Bingo!
The University of Houston Campus Recreation had some cute little guys wish us all a Happy Rec Day!
Musical chairs, inflatables, capture the flag, sitting volleyball, and more were part of the celebrations at Georgia State University Recreation Services.
Mount Saint Mary’s University hosted their 33rd annual Athenian Day in conjunction with Rec Day! First prize earned tickets to Universal Studios!
Students at Florida A&M University took on the ultimate challenge in their own thrilling version of Squid Games!
This is just a glimpse at some of the great things campus rec departments did to make Rec Day an unforgettable experience for the students on their campuses! Check out the #RecDay2025 hashtag across Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn for more examples of departments taking advantage of Rec Day 2025 to get moving in celebration of what Dr. William Wasson started back in 1950.
Founders day of giving
Thank you so much to the many members who supported the second Founders Day of Giving by making a donation to the NIRSA Foundation. $16,879 was raised to support the future of campus recreation! All donations will go to support the NIRSA Foundation’s work—from scholarships to educational opportunities, from research grants to strategic priorities—which in turn, supports the NIRSA membership.
A huge thank you to all our donors! A very special appreciation to CENTERS and our Anonymous Donor Circle for their matching donations, making Founders Day a tremendous success!
