California Institute of Technology
- Athletics

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California Institute of Technology - Athletics - Athletics - College ProwlerCollege Prowler1.93

Athletics

Quick Stats

Athletic Association
  • NAA
  • NCAA
Athletic Division NCAA Division III (without football)
Athletic Conferences Football: N/A
Basketball: Southern California Intercoll Ath Conf
School Colors Orange and white
School Nickname The Beaver
Men Playing Varsity Sports 131 - 22%
Women Playing Varsity Sports 97 - 25%

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

Contrary to popular belief, Caltech does have an athletics department. Though Caltech may not have a football team, there are numerous school sports for men and women, intercollegiate and intramural. The difference here is that sports are rarely a high priority. This can be advantageous because those who are on the sports teams play for fun, and there is not much pressure to win. The school allots two hours a day when no classes are scheduled, so students who play sports do not have to choose between classes or sports. Also, it is very easy to get on a team at Caltech. Tryouts are almost nonexistent. Anyone who wants to play can do so because a lot of teams do not have enough students, and other teams don’t mind having lots of backup players. The other advantage of such a low-key system is that sporting events are always free. Sports at Caltech are available for an outlet to the pressure built up from academic tension, not as another source of stress.

The downside is that sometimes students who want to win a lot of games and go to playoffs don’t have the opportunity or the time. Some students who come here leave a highly competitive environment and give up their sports for the academic excellence Caltech offers. There are many students here who would devote themselves more to athletics if they had the time, but they don’t. Most Caltech students wisely choose homework before practice. So, in the case of a time crunch, academics come before all else.

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Caltech Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Athletics at California Institute of Technology

emartin

Computer Science '15

0.0
F

Not Much Support

Students are generally too busy and uninterested to come to sporting events, and a perpetually losing team doesn't help. About 5 or 10 people show up for most home sporting events.

Mar 11, 2012

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Athletics at California Institute of Technology

lampochka

Epidemiology '10

2.3
C

If You Want to Be in a Sport, No One Will Stop You

If you're willing to show up and participate, a team won't turn you away. The quality is not very high, but it's a friendly environment. The gym is nice, we have a good training staff, and the coaches are quite good. Fan support is lacking. There is no women's soccer team, though women can play on the male-dominated co-ed team.

Sep 29, 2011

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Athletics at California Institute of Technology

Anonymous

Caltech Student

We’re NCAA Division III. In other...

We’re NCAA Division III. In other words, sports really aren’t a big deal. It’s a big thing if any of our teams goes over .500, but if you’re interested in playing varsity sports, for most teams, anybody can join. Since we’re such a small school, the teams are looking for players whether you’ve even played the sport before or not.

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User rating for California Institute of Technology - Athletics is 1.2 out of 5 based on 13 user reviews.

Student Survey Poll ResultsWhat's This?

How popular are varsity sports on campus?

How popular are intramurals and club sports?

How would you describe the athletic facilities?

Facts

Men's Varsity Sports
  • Baseball
  • Basketball
  • Cross country
  • Fencing
  • Soccer
  • Swimming and diving
  • Tennis
  • Track and field
  • Water polo
Women's Varsity Sports
  • Basketball
  • Cross country
  • Fencing
  • Soccer
  • Swimming and diving
  • Tennis
  • Track and field
  • Volleyball
  • Water polo
Intramurals
  • Basketball
  • Flag football
  • Soccer
  • Softball
  • Volleyball
Club Sports
  • Alpine skiing
  • Badminton
  • Ballet
  • Ballroom dance
  • Cycling
  • Dance troupe
  • Fencing
  • Karate
  • Kenjutsu
  • Orienteering
  • Racquetball
  • Salcita
  • Shorinji Kempo
  • Shotokan karate
  • Soccer
  • Surf and windsurf
  • Triathlon
  • Ultimate Frisbee
  • Volleyball (men’s and women’s)
  • Water polo
Athletic Fields & Facilities
  • Braun Athletic Center
  • Brown Gymnasium
  • North Field
  • South Field/Fox Stanton Track

School Spirit

School spirit varies from time to time. In some cases, students are very enthusiastic about Caltech, and there is a lot of school pride, especially in research areas and when a professor wins the Nobel Prize. A lot of times, students will remark about something unique, and others will respond, “only at Tech.” In other cases, students seem apathetic (often at athletic events). Although for the size of the school and the math-science orientation, there is a lot of school pride.

Getting Tickets

No tickets. All athletic events are free. Most athletic events do not have a high attendance rate.

Become a Contributing Author Learn more »

Most Recent Student Author View all

Name
Mayra Sheikh
Hometown
San Fernando Valley, Calif.
Major
Chemistry

College Prowler is seeking talented student authors to assist with writing and updating the College Prowler guides to their schools. This is a great opportunity for a student to gain experience and tremendous exposure, utilize new media techniques, and share advice with high school students about what life is really like at your college.

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