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Valparaiso University
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Valparaiso University - Athletics - Athletics - College ProwlerCollege Prowler2.69

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 I-AA
Athletic Conferences Football: Pioneer Football League
Basketball: Horizon League
School Colors Brown and gold
School Nickname Crusader
Men Playing Varsity Sports 274 - 22%
Women Playing Varsity Sports 136 - 10%

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

For students, lately there have only been two sports worth attending: volleyball and basketball. Each year the attendance varies, but these two teams can draw in a large community and student crowd. The student section in the ARC is usually filled with the Pep Band and fans sporting brown and gold. There are many other athletic teams on campus, but they draw much smaller crowds.

There is a football team, but while decent, they have enormous trouble filling the stands for every home game, except Homecoming. The softball team is continuing to improve with each consecutive year’s success, and in turn, is gaining more of a regular crowd. Most of the other Division I sports don’t draw much of a crowd at all.

Many students also like to play sports. Intramurals are available to anyone who wants to play, and they are a great way for a large number of students to stay in shape and take a much needed break from studying. About half of the student body gets involved in at least one intramural sport. Many teams are created by Greek organizations, other clubs, residents sharing a wing, and groups of friends. The highly coveted champion t-shirt is the reward for winning tournaments. 

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Valparaiso Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Athletics at Valparaiso University

keglar

Business '15

3.8
B+

"All Around Fun"

Athletics is a big part of the Valparaiso community. Valpo is a D1 school and every sports team is competitive. The student body and community is very involved and love to support the teams on campus. Inter mural sports are very popular because provide students to get out and be competitive. Athletics at Valparaiso is a way to keep students involved.

May 06, 2012

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Athletics at Valparaiso University

jdill23

Elementary Education '15

4.6
A

BASKETBALL!

Valpo is huge on basketball! Everyone goes to games and love to support the men. However this is really the only big sport on campus. Our football team is not very competitive , but other sports have done extremely well like bowling and men's soccer. There are numerous athletes on campus and many options for intramural sports as well.

Apr 30, 2012

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Athletics at Valparaiso University

LovelyBear77

Political Science and Government '15

4.2
A-

The Sports Are Good!

The sports at Valparaiso University are big and play hard. We have a lot of school spirit, a lot of fans are very involved in sports related activities. The sports teams are very friendly to everyone who wants to participate.

Dec 09, 2011

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Page 1 of 7
User rating for Valparaiso University - Athletics is 3.5 out of 5 based on 21 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
  • Football
  • Golf
  • Soccer
  • Swimming
  • Tennis
  • Track and field
Women's Varsity Sports
  • Basketball
  • Bowling
  • Golf
  • Soccer
  • Softball
  • Swimming
  • Tennis
  • Track and field
  • Volleyball
Intramurals
  • Badminton
  • Basketball
  • Billiards
  • Bowling
  • Cornhole
  • Dodgeball
  • Floor hockey
  • Foosball
  • Football
  • Golf
  • Kickball
  • Racquetball
  • Soccer
  • Softball
  • Swimming
  • Table tennis
  • Tennis
  • Ultimate Frisbee
  • Volleyball
  • Wallyball
  • Water basketball
Club Sports
  • Badminton
  • Fencing
  • Soccer (men’s, women’s)
  • Tennis
  • Ultimate Frisbee
  • Volleyball
Athletic Fields & Facilities
  • ARC Pool
  • Athletics Recreation Center (ARC)
  • Brown Field
  • The Course at Aberdeen
  • Eastgate Field
  • Emory G. Bauer Field
  • Fitness Center
  • Valpo Softball Field
  • Valpo Tennis Complex

Most Popular Sports

Basketball (men’s and women’s), volleyball

Most Overlooked Teams

Softball, men's soccer, swimming

School Spirit

Valpo’s school spirit really shines when it comes to—you guessed it— basketball. The most blatant show of school spirit is the VUCRU—the student cheering section at the games. These students (most of the student body, in fact) dress to the nines in VU apparel and colors, sporting VU temporary tattoos, gold and brown face paint, and even gold wigs. VUCRU sponsors theme nights, so you’ll often see these students with alien antennaes, coconut bras, or cowboy hats. They are loud, obnoxious, and do everything they can to harangue, irritate, and hassle the other team, its coaches, and the refs. Some of the most fun times at Valpo are had in the VUCRU! Tons of students even travel to see out-of-town VU games. One of the most notable instances of this was when students traveled hundreds of miles to watch VU play Duke during the 2003–2004 season. You’ll also find school spirit running high during Homecoming and Spring Week when Union Board and Greek organizations put together campus competitions and sponsor campus-wide activities. Most students are proud to wear the brown and gold!

Getting Tickets

Tickets are usually not required for students. Your VU ID card will get you into the games free—even basketball games. Tickets are only required for off-campus sporting events or NCAA interleague games, where students get discounted rates. The only tickets that can be hard to get are extra tickets for men’s basketball for friends and relatives. These are not expensive but can sell out for big games.

Best Place to Take a Walk

On campus—the sidewalks make a great place to run or ride. Off-campus trails include the trails at the Dunes and the Prairie Dogwood bicycle and walking trail.

Did You Know?
  • All of the athletics at Valpo are Division 1 besides football, which is Division 1 AA.
  • Valpo's basketball games are sometimes picked up by ESPN.

Become a Contributing Author Learn more »

Most Recent Student Author View all

Name
Amber Will
Hometown
Schofield, WI
Major
Political Science and History

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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We update this information twice annually, most recently in May 2012, but it may not be the most recent information available for a particular school.
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