Intramural basketball is underway for the 2026 season, but this year looks very different from the past. The league consists of eight teams, each with 10-20 students, and registration forms were open to all grade levels. In previous years, it was an unwritten rule that seniors, and occasionally juniors made up most of the league. This season, however, junior and sophomore teams outnumber the senior teams.

Many seniors are frustrated, as many of them intentionally waited until their final year to join intramural basketball. Now that they are seniors, they’ve found themselves unable to participate because the available team slots were filled quickly by younger students. This change has created strong opinions that the league should be reserved for solely upperclassmen.

“I purposely chose not to sign up during my sophomore and junior year because I knew this league was reserved for seniors. Now that I’m a senior, I can’t even participate. I feel they should let the league be for seniors only, as it’s practically been a senior activity in the past,” expressed an LTHS senior when asked about the situation.

Despite the frustration, others argue that seniors have no one to blame but themselves. The Community Wellness Center clearly states that they distribute only ten forms, and the first eight teams to return them fully complete earn a spot in the league. Seniors had the same opportunity as everyone else, and this year it just happened that younger students acted faster.

This year’s intramural season has sparked mixed reactions. Some believe the league should remain an upperclassman tradition, while others say fairness means allowing anyone who signs up first to participate. Personally, I feel the league should be for upperclassmen only. Like many others, I waited until my senior year to sign up, and I’ve always viewed intramural basketball as a senior activity as it is something fun and competitive to share with friends before graduation.