NIU’s Paintball Club is going national.

The team will head to the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla., on Saturday to compete against about 50 other schools in the X Ball Collegiate World Cup for trophies, bragging rights and a shot at attracting company sponsorship.

“There’s going to be some big schools that are going to be there,” said Jeremy Frew, president of the club and a junior business management major.

The trip was funded by the Student Association, Frew said.

The competition is held annually by the National Collegiate Paintball Association, a non-profit organization that sponsors interscholastic paintball matches nationwide.

Other competing schools include the University of Illinois, The Ohio State University, Purdue University and the U.S. Military and Naval academies.

Although last year’s trip to nationals was disappointing, Frew said he is optimistic about the club’s improvement, pointing to high standings in recent tournaments.

The club took third place at the Iowa State University Open this year and finished second among Illinois teams overall.

“We’ve been doing pretty well, so hopefully we’ll continue that and get our first place at the tournament,” Frew said.

Founded in 1998, the team practices year round, Frew said. Most of the club guns are custom-built by members.

Students interested in joining the club don’t need to buy gear first, Frew said, as all necessary equipment is provided on the field. Frew said they can attend club outings and learn the basics before moving on to more serious recreational events such as tournaments.

For more information about the NIU Paintball Club, call 815-703-1411 or visit www.sa.niu.edu/paintball.