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Oberlin College
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Oberlin College - Athletics - College ProwlerCollege Prowler1.93

Athletics

C-
Where does this grade come from?View all Athletics rankingsReview this school to add your opinion

Comparable Schools' Athletics Grades:

Quick Stats

Athletic Association
  • NAA
  • NCAA
Athletic Division NCAA Division III (with football)
Athletic Conferences Football: North Coast Athletic Conference
Basketball: North Coast Athletic Conference
School Nickname Yaomen (and Yaowomen)
Men Playing Varsity Sports 202 - 16%
Women Playing Varsity Sports 167 - 11%

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

Most Oberlin students agree: athletics on campus are not of very much interest to anyone except to those who actively participate in them. The truth is, it’s just not a jock school in any way, shape, or form. In fact, Oberlin jocks (some would go so far as to say that’s an oxymoron in itself) tend to stick to themselves, much in the same way Conservatory students do. The most popular sport of all is ultimate Frisbee, and most ultimate stars tend to be sinewy and gangly-limbed, not ripped and beefy. If that isn’t a sign in itself as to the status of varsity sports on campus, then what is?

No matter how apathetic Oberlin students are towards their own sports teams, athletes do have access to some excellent facilities, and can choose from a wide range of competitive sports teams. For those who aren’t quite as hardcore about varsity sports, IM sports are also quite popular, and have their own followings. Because Oberlin is a liberal arts college, the focus is largely placed on education over athletics. Oberlin is not a place where athletes come to groom their talents in preparation for professional success. For that, athletes go to Ohio State. But if you are the local high school star, there are plenty of IM opportunities, as well as facilities for you to stay in shape and have some level of competition.

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Oberlin Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Athletics at Oberlin College

marble

'14

Neuroscience

3.8
B+

Sports Improving, Needs More School Spirit

Our athletics have actually come a long way. Cross country has been the #1 team in the conference for years now, and members of the track team have been making headlines. Across the board, our varsity teams are definitely improving. I only wish that more of our student body recognized our accomplishments. It's gotten better, but Oberlin athletes are often stigmatized, and sport events aren't well attended.

Dec 07, 2011

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Athletics at Oberlin College

Scantronomor

'15

Political Science and Government

3.5
B

Not Too Shabby

The emphasis is being a student-athlete; people who play sports here don't come primarily to play sports. The facilities aren't bad and offer a variety of resources but going to sports events doesn't draw that many people. Lots of interesting club options.

Nov 21, 2011

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Athletics at Oberlin College

sg1923

'15

English

1.9
C-

Casual Sports

Sports isn't a strong point at Oberlin. Though there are quite a few non competitive sports available, we never rank high. Oberlin students do play a lot of sports-from soccer to ultimate frisbee to lacrosse-but they take it on a casual basis.

Oct 12, 2011

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Page 1 of 8

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
  • Football
  • Golf
  • Lacrosse
  • Soccer
  • Swimming and diving
  • Tennis
  • Track and field
Women's Varsity Sports
  • Basketball
  • Field hockey
  • Lacrosse
  • Soccer
  • Softball
  • Swimming and diving
  • Tennis
  • Track and field
  • Volleyball
Intramurals
  • Badminton
  • Basketball
  • Golf
  • Racquetball
  • Rugby
  • Squash
  • Table tennis
  • Ultimate Frisbee
  • Wallyball
Club Sports
  • Aikido
  • Bowling
  • Equestrian
  • Fencing
  • Ice hockey
  • Karate-Kai
  • Marching band
  • Rugby (women’s)
  • Scuba
  • Ultimate Frisbee (men’s and women’s)
  • Volleyball (men’s)
  • Water polo
Athletic Fields & Facilities
  • Hales Auditorium
  • Hales Gymnasium & Annex
  • Jesse Philips Physical Education Center
  • John W. Heisman Club Field House

Most Popular Sports

Hands down, ultimate Frisbee draws the largest crowds. Next is women’s rugby and men’s soccer. IM sports are quite popular, especially when, for example, the south Asian students team is up against the Japanese students, and national rivalries spice up the game.

Most Overlooked Teams

The men’s lacrosse team doesn’t get nearly the press it deserves. Also, there is a desperate need to revive the ice hockey teams—if enough students take it up again, this sport could be the most popular winter event on campus.

School Spirit

Oberlin students generally take pride in being conscientious thinkers. As a result, they are always finding new things about the school to complain about. Despite this fact, however, many students harbor a deep pride for Oberlin. Thus, while they may spend hours criticizing it, they will be quick to defend it in comparison with other colleges and universities. The truth is, most students recognize the quality of their college’s academic and cultural life. If Oberlin apparel is any measure of school spirit, a significant number of students routinely don the letters O-B-E-R-L-I-N across their sweatshirts and T-shirts without thinking twice.

Getting Tickets

Tickets are free and easy to obtain; Oberlin athletes are lucky to have the spectators that they do—charging the admission would be altogether wishful thinking!

Best Place to Take a Walk

The Arboretum, the Kipton-Lorain Bike Trail, the Olive and Scott Carson Nature Reserve

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Most Recent Student Author

College Prowler guides are in the hands of students throughout the entire process. Because you can't make student-written guides without the students, we have students at each campus who write, edit, and survey their peers for every guide that we publish. Thanks to our most recent student author at Oberlin

Name: Veronica Colegrove

Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio

Major: Latin/Computer science

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