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Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
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Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - Athletics - College ProwlerCollege Prowler2.31

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: Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association
Basketball: Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association
School Colors Red and white
School Nickname Engineers, Redhawks, Puckman
Men Playing Varsity Sports 381 - 10%
Women Playing Varsity Sports 196 - 13%

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

Hockey, RPI’s only Division I sport, is hands down the student body’s favorite. NHL stars Joe Juneau and Adam Oates both went through the program. Football is an early fall favorite until it turns cold, at which point attendance drops off. Intramurals are very popular among students, though, and a very wide range of clubs and intramural sports are offered.

While RPI is a Division III school, the student athletes take athletics very seriously. Hockey and football are the only two that draw a crowd, but the others are still highly competitive within their conference. Don’t be fooled by the fact RPI is Division III—those who participate in varsity sports spend as much time and effort practicing as those at any Division I school. Many students find they don’t have the time to dedicate to the rigor of varsity sports, though, which is why intramural sports and clubs are so popular. They provide an opportunity for students to remain active but without the demanding requirements of a collegiate sports program.

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RPI Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Athletics at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

kamikarin

'16

Architecture

4.6
A

Hockey

We have really good hockey time. Many of our students are hocky fans, if you are not you will become one if you go to the big red freak out.

Nov 16, 2011

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Athletics at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

jncarter5206

'11

Physics

3.1
B-

Not Part of the a Team

For years the school's hockey team was simply known as "The Engineers". Stereotypes of engineer's athletic prowess definitely apply. Yet, the school does have a booming intermural sports subculture and school spirit is high.

Jul 24, 2011

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Athletics at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

kikuracchi

'14

Industrial and Engineering Management

0.0
F

Waste of Time and Money

Only the athletes care about the athletics at a school like this and quite frankly, why should we care? Our only good sports team is the Men's Hockey team. Everything else is a complete waste of money and caters to a very small percentage of the population. Most people on campus think the sports are a waste of time and money and would rather see that money go elsewhere...to things we care about and better represent RPI.

Jul 01, 2011

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Photos of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's Athletics

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Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - Ricketts BuildingRicketts Building
Photo by Besselfunctions
Ricketts Building The Class of 1886 Field is visible in the front, behind it is the Ricketts Building, and to the right is the '87 Gym
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Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - Troy BuildingTroy Building
Photo by Besselfunctions
Troy Building The Class of 1886 Field is visible in the front, behind it is the Troy Building, and to the left is Russel Sage Lab
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Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - Historic '86 FieldHistoric '86 Field
Photo by JRW0416
Historic '86 Field Built in 1912 by donations from the class of 1886, the '86 Field hosted football games until 2008. Its future is currently in debate.
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Photo by JRW0416

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
  • Ice hockey
  • Lacrosse
  • Soccer
  • Swimming and diving
  • Tennis
  • Track and field
Women's Varsity Sports
  • Basketball
  • Field hockey
  • Ice hockey
  • Lacrosse
  • Soccer
  • Softball
  • Swimming and diving
  • Tennis
  • Track and field
Intramurals
  • Basketball
  • Dodgeball
  • Ice hockey
  • Open Gym Hockey
  • Open Volleyball
  • Open Wallyball
  • Pool
  • Racquetball
  • Run to Remember
  • Soccer
  • Softball
  • Table Tennis
  • Ultimate Frisbee
  • Volleyball
Club Sports
  • Aikido
  • Archery club
  • Badminton
  • Billiards club
  • Capoeira
  • Cheerleading
  • Chung Do Kwon
  • Crew
  • Cricket
  • Curling Club
  • Cycling
  • Equestrian club
  • Fencing
  • Figure Skating
  • Fitness Club
  • Gymnastics
  • ICA-General
  • Ice Hockey
  • ICA Football
  • ICA Men's Soccer
  • Isshrinyu karate
  • Judo club
  • Juggling
  • Kendo
  • Men's Lacrosse
  • Olympic Tae Kwon Do
  • Outing club
  • Paintball
  • Racquetball
  • Rifle club
  • Roller Hockey
  • RPI Gymnastics
  • Rugby
  • Sailing
  • Scuba
  • Ski and snowboard
  • Ski team
  • Squash
  • Swim Club
  • Table tennis
  • Tae Kwon Do
  • Tennis club
  • Ultimate Frisbee
  • Volleyball
  • Water polo
  • Wing Tsun Kung Fu Club
  • Wrestling
Athletic Fields & Facilities
  • ’87 Gymnasium
  • The Armory
  • Houston Field House
  • Mueller Fitness Center
  • Robison Pool

Most Popular Sports

The most popular varsity sports are men’s hockey and football. The Big Red Freakout is held each February, and it is the single biggest sporting event that RPI holds. No matter the hockey team’s record or how bad the weather is, this game is always sold out.

Most Overlooked Teams

Men’s baseball, women's basketball, and women's ice hockey

School Spirit

School spirit at RPI is marginal at best. RPI clothing is commonplace, and stickers bearing the school’s name or shield can be seen in many car windows on campus, but it usually ends there. GM Week (Grand Marshal Week) is the biggest school spirit event on campus. Voting for the Grand Marshal, President of the Union, and other officers takes place during this week, and various campus organizations put on activities and competitions. There are no classes on Wednesday of this week, and it is tradition that no tests are given either. The other big outburst of school spirit is the Big Red Freakout, which is a hockey extravaganza and always draws people out to the hockey game to wave red foam hockey sticks around and cheer on their favorite team.

Getting Tickets

You only will need to get tickets ahead of time for men’s hockey (which cost money) and football (which doesn’t). None of the other teams charge for admittance, and you can usually get tickets for each on the day of the event.

Best Place to Take a Walk

Campus is probably the best (and safest) place to take a walk. During the non-winter months, the campus is actually a fairly attractive place, and if you trek down to Eighth Street (the bottom of campus), you can get a nice view of the city. If the weather is decent and you are feeling adventurous, a walk down by the Hudson River can be nice, as well.

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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 RPI

Name: Cara Riverso

Hometown: Holmes, NY

Major: Chemical Engineering

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