Students across campus have been buzzing this week thanks to BYU’s latest announcement: the football team has been disbanded, with the football program set to be pulled from the official athletic lineup in the fall. The intramural spikeball team, which has been formally upgraded to a nationally competitive collegiate team, will take its place. Indeed, spikeball– the most beloved sport in the country– will be the new face of BYU athletics.

“It’s an amazing sport that requires unparalleled teamwork and communication,” said BYU spikeball player Derrik Hinckley. “Plus, my new athletic scholarship allows me to take my FHE kids out to the creamery after my matches. I think calling spikeball a blessing is the best way to describe its impact on both my family and me personally.”

The announcement was initially met with hesitation, but BYU came prepared with answers. With limited resources, the university could only afford to fund one of the teams. Inside sources say that the decision was tough, but, after months of heated debate and prayer, the decision to support the spikeball team became as obvious as it was unanimous. BYU president and tiny volley ball enthusiast Kevin J Worthen was confirmed to have been at the forefront of the movement.

When pressed for an explanation, Worthen made sure not to mince words: “It just seems pretty cool.”

In the meantime, construction plans to renovate the football stadium into an appropriate spikeball viewing venue are in the works, and yesterday the team signed on to have Nike as a sponsor. Custom spikeball sweatbands will arrive for the team shortly. Overall, the series of events seems to be a success story in the making.

Pretty cool indeed, Kevin.