Guilford’s campus is home to a wide array of sports, each offering its unique appeal. From the competitive nature of basketball to the precision of golf, there’s something for every type of fan.

As students fill the stands, some sports are filled with loud cheers and excitement, while others are only met with blank stares and silence.

This raises an interesting question: When it comes to popularity, what sports do students talk about the most, and which one is underrated?

Kody Clayton, a Guilford junior majoring in business, plays for the men’s basketball team and has firsthand experience with the sport’s popularity on campus.

“If I had to pick a sport that is the most popular, it’s the basketball team,” he said.

For Clayton, the connection between success and support is clear.

“The team has seen a ton of success recently, and because of that, a lot of people come to watch the games,” he said.

That success, he explained, doesn’t just show up on the scoreboard — it builds excitement that spreads throughout campus.

“The team is fun and exciting to watch, and because of that, a lot of fans rally behind them,” he added. “All the time in class, people ask me when we play next or who we’re playing. They’re so excited to come and watch.”

Clayton acknowledges that his experience with the sport makes him somewhat biased in determining its popularity.

Enzo Geremski, a Guilford sophomore majoring in psychology, has noticed the same trend among students on campus.

“From what I’ve seen, students really tend to be interested in going to the sports that are in the gym — like basketball and volleyball,” he said.

According to Geremski, one team stands out from the rest.

“Men’s basketball has had a lot of success in the last couple years, and so I feel like they are the most talked about and attended sports team on campus by far,” he said.

But while the spotlight shines brightly on basketball, Clayton sees other teams being left in the shadows.

“A ton of sports deserve some more credit,” he said. “A lot of the less popular sports are actually really competitive and should have more fans.”

To him, the issue isn’t with the athletes — it’s with the culture.

“I think the nature of sports in America causes them to get less fans,” Clayton said. “Many people wanna see football or basketball, and don’t consider going to other games.”

On the other hand, Geremski suggests that location and performance may contribute to the divide.

“I feel like field sports don’t get as much attention, but that might also have to do with them not winning as many games as the indoor sports do,” he said.

But just because a sport gets less attention doesn’t mean it’s less impressive, a point that Geremski highlights with one standout Guilford example.

“An underrated team would have to be the men’s golf team,” he said. “They’ve been a national ranking team for our division, but seem to not get the same recognition.”

Geremski believes that part of the difference in attention comes down to the energy of the sport itself.

“Probably because watching a golf tournament isn’t as exciting as a basketball game, but they should definitely get more talk around campus for how good they are,” he said.

I find sports that tend to be unpredictable, fast-paced, and large in both audience and players garnering more hype. The uncertainty of who will come out on top keeps my heart racing fast, while the excitement that bursts through the crowd keeps my eyes glued to the game.

While fast-paced games like basketball and football create an adrenaline rush, other sports offer a different kind of excitement.