(CNN) -- In summer 2010, Big Sky High School graduate and football star Glen Maricelli began a grueling 2,170-mile drive from Missoula, Montana, for a collegiate tryout in Marietta, Georgia. It was the farthest from home he had ever been. His goal was a chance to continue his athletic success.

Four days later, he arrived in Georgia, exhausted. An hour after that, Maricelli was trying out for the Running Eagles squad, sprinting for fitness tests in the sweltering Georgia summer heat.

Gasping for air and dripping with sweat, Maricelli couldn't be happier.

"When you're running those sprints, lifting those weights and running up hills, it sucks at the time," he said. "But right when you're done, everyone is out of breath and looking all around, it's like 'yes, it was worth it. That was good.' "

A football running back known for scoring three touchdowns in a game, Maricelli discovered rugby in high school as a way to condition. Rather than rely on the controlling coaching aspect of football, rugby allowed Maricelli and his teammates to run the plays and run the game.

The sport became his passion, so he put his football days behind him and looked for a college rugby program.

Now a sophomore at Life University in Marietta, Maricelli plays for one of the top varsity rugby teams in the U.S. But for most colleges, rugby is considered at best a second-grade niche sport.

Seventy-five miles to the east in Athens, Georgia, a true portrait of collegiate rugby versus collegiate football unfolds.

Unlike the University of Georgia football team, with its sold-out stadium of more than 92,000 fans any given fall Saturday, UGA Rugby barely has 100 fans, although both teams collide with well-known Southeastern Conference rival schools.

"What happens is, the footprint of collegiate football in the South is monstrous. It takes the air out of the room," University of California head rugby coach Jack Clark said. "Playing rugby is akin to a communist activity."

Yet behind the scenes, rugby serves an American passion for a worldwide sport.

Finding a field

It's the simple act of stumbling upon a practice, catching a rare match on TV or tossing a rugby ball around that draws people away from the ingrained mentality of American football.

Universities with big football traditions often offer rugby, but football's domination can make it hard for "ruggers."

They set up at recreational sport fairs, speak at student group meetings and recruit from high school tournaments, but they can offer only rudimentary benefits.

In the place of customized scooters, Nike team wear and logo-embossed gear, rugby players say they discover lasting friendships, passionate competition and the dynamics of a heavily skill-based game with a lifelong, global network. The recruits will have to pay for dues, travel expenses and jerseys, and they must practice three to five days a week.

But first, they have to find a field. Although some of the big colleges like Florida, South Carolina and Tennessee have fields designated for club rugby, the UGA team classifies itself as a "stepchild."

"Historically, rugby players have been 'field gypsies,' " said Rod Seddon, president of the Georgia Rugby Union.

University of Georgia senior and criminal justice major Robert Thomas knows the struggles firsthand. One Thursday when he was 19, Thomas stepped on a rugby pitch for the first time. That Saturday, he played in his first match but had no idea what he was doing.

"Two weeks later, I don't know what it was, but right before the SEC Tournament, something clicked, and everything made sense," he said. Although Thomas had never played a team sport before, the camaraderie aspect drew him in immediately.

"It's driven to not just be a team on the field but off the field that I really like," Thomas said. "We do everything as a team."

From field setup to team dinners, it's not hard to spot the UGA ruggers on campus. They're always together. On a Wednesday night downtown, people sometimes ask what they're celebrating. The teammates respond that it's Wednesday, and they're just hanging out, as usual.

Cameron Nizdil, a 20-year-old sophomore from Moorpark, California, was offered a walk-on spot on UGA's track and field team. Running is in his genes, but Nizdil turned down the opportunity and pursued rugby instead.

"Rugby had the better social environment," Nizdil said. "It was the best decision ever."