Northwestern University Top Questions

As a disclaimer, I'd like to state that I ODed on college sports at a young age since everyone in my home town (Austin, TX) was fairly obsessed with them. As such, I probably haven't utilized the sporting opportunities as much as one could at Northwestern. That being said, all games are free with the Wildcard, which allows you to attend events without the financial commitment that is normally required. Intramural sports are also very popular, and there are teams for almost everything (including dodgeball and quidditch). In addition to this, I've found the rec facilities to be a great way to get in a work out, even during the chilly winter months. Students have access to all of the gyms and, while some are certainly better equipped than others, it's fairly easy to find what you need.

People are definitely into football. This was weird for me. I am not. I tried and failed to be. I'm accepted for my shortcomings, though--for the most part. :)

Northwestern is a Big Ten school, so we take sports pretty seriously, football especially. Our fans aren't manic or anything, but we always have a lot of students all decked-out in purple cheering for the team. People like men's basketball a lot, too, but many of our other sports are generally poorly attended, which is a shame. We have had a national champion women's lacrosse team for several years in a row now. Our tennis, fencing and golf teams are pretty good, too. People think we're just a nerd school, and that we don't have athletes, but most of our really impressive teams just fly a little under the radar.

With three Division I championships in the last three years, the lax team is Northwestern’s claim to fame and its pride.