Athletics

Oberlin College is an NCAA Division III institution and part of the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC), the first conference in the country devoted to giving an equal emphasis to men’s and women’s sports. We offer 21 varsity sports with roughly 350 student athletes participating each year. 

three women running cross country along wooded area.
Oberlin’s Oona Jung-Beeman named to the All-NCAC First Team in women’s cross country takes the lead in the competition.
Photo credit: Courtesy of NCAC

Oberlin Varsity Sports

Become a Yeomen and compete in such varsity sports as basketball, baseball, cross country, football, lacrosse, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, and indoor and track and field. Yeowomen compete in basketball, cross country, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, indoor and outdoor track and field, and volleyball.

In recent years, Oberlin has consistently sent players to Division III Nationals in cross country, track and field, and women’s tennis. Every year, many of our teams are recognized as Academic All-Americans based on team grade-point averages.

Home contests take place within the college’s Austin E. Knowlton Athletics Complex and Dick Bailey Field, plus other outdoor venues that include the Robert Kahn Track and Fred Shults Field, Dill Field, and Culhane Field. You can use these facilities when not rooting for the home team. You also have access to facilities and equipment in Jesse Philips Physical Education Center, John Heisman Club Field House, and Robert Carr Pool, currently under renovation.

While we compete against other colleges and universities throughout the region, our athletic rivals include the Kenyon College Lords and Ladies, the College of Wooster Fighting Scots, the Allegheny College Gators, and the Denison University Big Red.

Browse GoYeo: Oberlin Athletics

Discover our Athletics Complex

Additional Fitness Opportunities

Interested in an activity that isn’t a varsity-level sport? Oberlin has more than 20 student-run clubs that are open to both newcomers and seasoned competitors. Some clubs are more instructional while others are quite competitive. Participants may learn as well as teach the sport or activity to others. Fun is generally part of the game, but not at the expense of good competition. Many clubs have outside coaches or instructors who assist with training, instruction, and scheduling seminars, competitions, or other events.

The program is run by the Club Sports Council, a group dedicated to improving club sports at Oberlin and ensuring that participants are aware of their rights and responsibilities as club-based student-athletes. The council consists of representatives from each club sport, the director of recreation and club sports, and interested advisors.

Explore Clubs Sports

What do you get when you combine peer-to-peer competition with on-campus athletics? Answer: intramurals.

We have a dynamic intramural sports programs designed by and for students as well as employees. You can continue in a sport you love or learn a new one. You can be fit without the pressure of competition, intense training, and travel.

Intramurals offer many opportunities for physical activity and fellowship, while promoting wellness and the positive use of leisure time. Regardless of your athleticism, students involved in intramurals realize the benefits of social recreation and competitive involvement.

Our intramural program offers varied seasonal activities throughout the academic year. Most sports are coed. Team games and tournaments do not take place during class times but occur in late afternoons, early evenings, and on the weekends. 

Discover Intramurals

Our health and wellness resources support and empower students to develop greater personal health skills, build stronger interpersonal relationships, and forge a strong sense of community. This holistic and integrated approach includes a wide range of educational opportunities for students in areas of physical fitness, stress reduction, mental, emotional and sexual health, and nutrition.

If soccer, volleyball, or running is not for you, try the Climbing Wall in the central atrium of Jesse Philips Physical Education Center. The four-sided, 25-foot pillar has more than 1,000 holds of all shapes and sizes—enough routes for climbers of any ability to challenge themselves and have fun. A 360-square-foot bouldering cave offers additional opportunities to develop strength and climbing skills.

Don’t know how to climb? Qualified students provide instruction in bouldering, climbing, belaying, and even lead climbing.

Discover the Climbing Wall