Amherst College - Athletics

Quick Stats

College Prowler Take

Like other Northeastern selective schools, Amherst maintains a highly developed and competitive athletic regimen. Most student athletes simply love their teams, their teammates, coaches, and the fact that they get to go out and compete. Students here have sports as a legitimate outlet for the competitiveness inherent in most Amherst students. Most intercollegiate games don’t see capacity crowds, but loyal groups of alumni and parents keep things lively. Nonetheless, in big games, either in the postseason or against Williams College, seats can be hard to find. Above all, students love their football and men’s basketball teams. A vigorous rivalry, which fortunately is restricted to gametime, exists between Amherst and the other NESCAC colleges, especially Williams. It’s not rare for student athletes to devote most of their energy and effort in their four years here to the various varsity teams they are members of. Overall, students are quite proud of the legacy and friendships they’ve created through athletics and athletic groups.

For students who are not recruited, several more exotic sports are out there. Sailing, skiing, and ultimate Frisbee are all options that provide physical challenges to active students. Outside of those students who are into varsity or club sports, many are not into sports at all, except for working out, which is why there are only a few intramural options. Working out has become a kind of plague among the student body, and the gym is now a campus-wide gathering place.

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Students Speak Out

AmhTH says: Amherst College 2016 Math and Statistics

Sports are very important at... Sports are very important at Amherst. It seems that most students are involved in some sport at some time in their college career. 12345 Athletics: February 17, 2009 Report

AmhNF says: Amherst College 2016 Biological and Biomedical Sciences

From a spectator's point of view,... From a spectator's point of view, varsity sports here aren't great. People rally for the big games, but it's not nearly at the level of a state school. If you plan to play a sport, though, the teams are usually a great community to get involved with. 12345 Athletics: February 17, 2009 Report

AmhDJ says: Amherst College 2016 Undecided

There are a lot of intramural... There are a lot of intramural options. I play varsity baseball, but it doesn't seem like enthusiasm is great for sports on campus. However, there is great support for soccer and basketball. 12345 Athletics: February 16, 2009 Report

AmhSF says: Amherst College 2016 Psychology

Amherst College is such a small... Amherst College is such a small school that everyone typically knows who the varsity athletes are, and the sports are widely respected. The intramurals are not as serious, but attract lots of students. 12345 Athletics: February 16, 2009 Report

Anonymous says:

There are 1,600 students, and a... There are 1,600 students, and a little over half of them play a sport. We are Division III in varsity sports. The IMs have about 20 to 40 people per team. 12345 Athletics Report

Facts

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