Seven years ago, underneath the bright lights of the intramural fields, a new sport was introduced to Mississippi State University. Students throwing Frisbees in an organized fashion seemed a bit different at first, but the sport slowly became popular over time.
Ultimate Frisbee was first created in 1968 in Massachusetts by Jared Kass and Joel Silver. People of all likes and kinds began to flock to the new fad over the next few years. As time passed, the “football Frisbee game,” quickly transformed into a sport instead of just a game  played at children’s birthday parties. Now, in 2012, there are several college teams across the nation competing in many tournaments.
Max Moseley, a graduate student majoring in business, said he started playing ultimate as a hobby in high school. He said he was surprised on the seriousness of the sport when he got to college.
“I didn’t play my freshman year, but I got to know some of the guys on the team. They got me interested, and I saw how serious and in depth the practices were,” Moseley said. “It was then I decided to get involved my sophomore year. It was definitely a lot more than I expected after I became a part of the team.”
Here is the premise for ultimate: two teams of seven begin at opposite end zones and try to advance the disc to the other end zone. The disc is put in play by one team throwing to the other, called the pull.
After the disc is in play, it can only be moved by throwing it. The only physical movement allowed is pivoting on one foot. If a team successfully advances a disc into the end zone, that team scores a point, the teams swap directions and the team that scored pulls to the other team. If a pass is incomplete, intercepted or caught out of bounds, the opposing team immediately takes possession and tries to move the disc in the other direction.
The game is decided when either team reaches a total of 13 points. No physical contact is allowed, and players call their own fouls. Substitutions can only be made after a team scores or during an injury timeout
The MSU ultimate team holds practices where the players run sprints and drills and work on strategies and defenses. In fact, while most teams across the country are enjoying the offseason, the MSU team is currently practicing every Tuesday and Thursday from 8-10 p.m.
Robert Stroup, a senior biological engineering major and a veteran on the team, said the team has seen success lately, competing in regional play the past five seasons.
“With teams steadily popping up and getting into competition play, this puts us ahead of the growing pack,” Stroup said. “The teams are broken down into different conferences across the country. We are in the Gulf Coast Conference, which is basically the SEC of ultimate.”
The players said camaraderie plays a big part in how things go on and off the field. They said, for the most part, everybody they hang out with is involved with the sport. They travel together, practice together and, in some cases, they even live together.
Some players said they have even made lifelong friends from the teams they compete against. Erek Allen, a senior industrial engineering major, said the sport is ultimately a medium to meet new people and make new friends.
“We hang out with teams from around the country. We fellowship with them and really celebrate the sport of ultimate. Some of the guys from other teams have even stayed at our house during tournaments, and we still communicate on a regular basis,” Allen said. “Most sports teams can’t even sit in the same room together, but almost everyone in the ultimate world gets along.”
As the team prepares for the upcoming season in the spring, the players are looking to be in prime condition for their first tournament. The Cowbell Classic is scheduled for the early part of next year.
For any who would like to be involved or for information about tournaments, one can follow the team on Twitter, @MSU_Ultimate, visit the page on Facebook, MSU Men’s Ultimate Club or just visit msuultimate.com.