They pack up and travel to other universities like any varsity athletic team, then they unload and play their game: dodgeball.

The Ohio State Dodgeball Syndicate is a splinter group of the Dodgeball Club at OSU. The difference is that the syndicate travels to other schools to play matches, as well as national tournaments.

In 2008, the team placed second in the National College Dodgeball Association’s national championship, losing to powerhouse Grand Valley State.

Before the Grand Valley State Lakers took over as one of the nation’s top college dodgeball powers, OSU was a force to be reckoned with, said team captain and president Cole Norden. Now they’re trying to close the gap that’s spread between the two powers.

The matches played by these OSU students are a little different than those portrayed in the 2004 film “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story,” Norden said.

“The rules are very similar, but it’s 15 against 15 as opposed to six-on-six,” Norden said. “And we don’t throw wrenches.”

OSU recently hosted a dodgeball invitational that featured teams from Miami of Ohio, Michigan State, Central Michigan and Grand Valley State.

Unlike the large-venue arena in Las Vegas portrayed in “Dodgeball,” the syndicate is pleased when a modest number of family and friends show up to support the players.

“Dodgeball is like football at Grand Valley State; they brought a ton of people,” Norden said. “We had about 15 spectators at the invitational, and I’m happy with that.”

Alex Young, a first-year graduate student at OSU, has been playing dodgeball at the university for six years.

“Having good vision is crucial in this game,” Young said. “If you’re not paying attention, that’s when you get hit in the head. I always tell the new people, slow your feet down and speed your eyes up.”

The syndicate will travel to Western Kentucky and Kent State for dodgeball match-ups this year, and will also compete in the national tournament in April at Bowling Green. Members of the group pay for their own gas and travel expenses.

The team practices Friday and Sunday evenings in the Adventure Recreation Center and certain Mondays on the outdoor basketball courts near Lane Avenue and High Street.