Recent patrons of Dixon Recreation Center may have noticed a large, multicolored addition to the sidewalk outside the building’s main entrance. “Sign up today for I.M. 3v3 Basketball Tournament!” reads a message on the walkway, written in chalk.

The message was written by Colby Schoniwitz, a senior sports program associate who is organizing the tournament, in an effort to spread the word about the upcoming event.

The tournament, which will be held on Saturday, Nov. 5 and is free for participants. Schoniwitz is eager to get the word out.

“This is my third time fully running [the tournament], but this time will hopefully be bigger and better than all the other ones. I’m trying to market and push it so a lot of people can get involved in it… I’m really excited for it.”

The event is already popular. Last year’s tournament had over 100 people participating on over 30 teams, and Schoniwitz and his coworkers at Dixon’s Sports Programs Office are expecting to see students enjoying themselves yet again.

“Last year, I was there for the whole event; and it was a bunch of fun,” said Daniel Soohoo, a fellow senior sport program associate at Dixon. He also emphasized how easy it is to participate in the tournament.

“[Compared to] any of our other intramural events, it’s smaller, it’s shorter, it’s less of a commitment, and it’s free,” Soohoo said.

For parity, the tournament is typically divided into men’s and women’s leagues, as well as a league for teams whose players are all under six feet tall. Each team is guaranteed to play a handful of games due to the tournament’s formatting, and players of all levels of experience are encouraged to participate.

Schoniwitz believes that both returning players and first-timers can expect to have a good time.

“People get so excited doing it,” said Schoniwitz. “If you have a bunch of people doing it, they all get excited—especially as it gets towards the end.”

In addition to the action and excitement that a sports tournament brings, those facilitating the tournament work to create a positive experience for everyone involved.

“During the down time a lot of people are watching other people play and cheering them on… Everybody really enjoys it,” says Joe Schaffer, an assistant associate director of programs at Dixon.

Students interested in participating can fill out registration forms from the Sports Programs Office located on Dixon’s first floor. Registration closes at 2 p.m. on Friday. Complete information can be found on the Recreational Sports website.