Quidditch is a national sport adopted by over 200 colleges and universities.
The same rules apply on campus as they do in the popular Harry Potter book series, including gender inclusivity.
“It’s very important to me, you don’t get to do that in basic sports like soccer and such,” said Arkansas Quidditch Team Captain Emily Fletcher.
Sports like soccer separate their teams based on sex, as enforced by Title IX.
To combat this, the national Quidditch Organization created Title 9 3/4, which aims to eliminate restrictions based on gender instead of separating the two.
OSU seeker Paige Lehrmann says being able to play with the boys pushes her to be stronger.
“It challenges me as an athlete because there are a lot of guys that are really big and really strong and really fast and it drives me to be that much better so that I can at least compete with them,” said Lehrmann.
The U.S. Quidditch Organization says gender equality on the field levels the playing field not only in sports but in every aspect of society.
They also say they strive to inspire other sports leagues to reconsider their gender regulations and in turn effect broader positive change in gender equality worldwide.
So while these college kids aren’t able to fly on their brooms like the books and movies, they are still doing something magical.
Story by UATV Reporter Clarissa Bustamante