What was once a popular intramural league may be discontinued in the future.

The intramural basketball law league at the UI has seen decreasing numbers in the last few years.

And some participants said the decline is because most law students are busy and don’t have enough time for intramural sports.

Bojan Lazic, the captain of 3L STUD Muffins, said he would be disappointed if the league were canceled.

“It is a bad idea because most of us play basketball to let off steam from school,” Lazic said. “It would be a waste of a good thing.”

In the 1980s, a group of law students approached Recreational Services with the idea of creating a separate league for intramural basketball, Recreational Services assistant director Mike Widen said. They designated Fridays as the league’s game day, he said.

Lazic said he thinks the low numbers are the result of students preferring to focus on their studies.

“There aren’t many teams because most students are spending their time studying,” he said. “First- and second-year students are concerned about their grades.”

The law league currently boasts both Men’s and Co-Rec divisions. This year, only one Co-Rec team signed up to participate, and there are four Men’s teams registered — 3L STUD Muffins, Atanna’s Bananas, Pippin Ain’t Easy, and Hung Jurors.

“The Co-Rec league is low because there are no women who want to play, but I don’t believe that the law league has low numbers [to have to be discontinued],” Hung Jurors captain Grant Anderson said.

Most of the men on the team are friends or know each other from school. They also have past basketball experience; most of the players having participated either in high school or during their undergraduate years in college.

The 3L STUD Muffins player Matt Prieksat said playing intramural basketball has helped his team become closer.

“We play intramural basketball to take off steam and bond together as a team,” he said. “We spend most of our time studying.”

Although the players don’t like the idea of the league being canceled, they understand the situation is out of their control.

“There is a lot of pressure on law students,” Prieksat said. “They feel they should be doing homework instead of playing basketball, and it is easier for them to say no.”