Cornell's a great place to be an athlete, whether you play ice hockey, ride a polo pony, or shoot hoops. Big Red varsity teams won nine Ivy League titles in 2005-06. Cornell also offers hundreds of club sports, intramural teams, and physical education classes, plus the most comprehensive collegiate program in outdoor education. The Noyes Community and Recreation Center opened in January 2007, providing a state-of-the-art fitness and recreation facility for staff and students near West Campus and Collegetown.
Cornell field hockey players
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"My experience playing football at Cornell taught me the importance of never putting individual accomplishments above team success."
Ed Marinaro '72, 1971 Heisman Trophy runner-up, renowned actor
Sports
Intercollegiate Sports
Cornell University's intercollegiate athletic program ranks among the nation's elite, competing at the highest level of intercollegiate athletic competition as an NCAA Division I institution. Rich tradition and history follow Cornell athletics throughout the university's storied past. Cornellians have been national champions in ice hockey, lacrosse, polo, rowing, track and field and wrestling.
Sport Clubs
Cornell University has hundreds of student organizations to choose from, including many popular and successful club sports. If you are interested in sailing, bowling, rugby or even yo-yo, more than 40 clubs can offer you a tremendous experience during your time at Cornell.
Intramural Sports
The Intramural Sports Department offers a wide array of recreational and competitive sport activities for Cornell's student and staff. Last year it provided 35 different activities, ranging from the traditional basketball and soccer to the wild and wacky innertube water polo and dodgeball.
Cornell Outdoor Education
Cornell Outdoor Education
Cornell Outdoor Education (COE) is the largest and most comprehensive collegiate outdoor education program in the country. COE uses challenge, adventure and experiential learning, much of it based in the outdoors, to help individuals and teams learn and grow.
Cornell Outdoor Education Programs
- Outdoor Education Classes
- Over 60 different classes available each semester, available for Physical Education credit for fun. From whitewater kayaking to tree climbing, caving to canoeing, there's something to match most everyone's sense of adventure and desire to rough it. Explore off campus with a day hiking course, or join a small group on a break trip. Small, hands on classes emphasize teamwork, leadership and growth through outdoor experience.
- Cornell Teambuilding and Professional Development
- Cornell Teambuilding and Professional Development can help your group break through to the next level of performance.
- Wilderness Reflections
- Wilderness Reflections is a pre-orientation program that gives incoming freshmen and transfer students the opportunity to make ten friends before they begin their Cornell career. Student-run and student-lead, the program offers outdoor trips of 4, 6, or 8 days in length that range from backpacking to canoeing, from rock climbing to mountain biking.
Recreational Services
Recreational Services
The primary goal of Recreational Services is to promote holistic and healthy lives for students and staff within the demanding environment of the university. The offerings foster social interaction, a spirit of cooperation and sportsmanship, unique opportunities for the development of leadership skills and a life-long involvement in participatory activities.
Affiliated Programs
- Cornell Fitness Centers
- Cornell Fitness Centers (CFC) oversees all Cornell fitness sites and group exercise programs available to the Cornell Community. Currently there are fitness sites in Helen Newman Hall, Appel Commons, Teagle Hall and Class of '28 Hall.
- Wellness
- The Cornell University Wellness Program provides employees, retirees, and their families with diverse opportunities that foster joy, balance, and well-being. We offer outreach programming, much of it free, that includes blood pressure clinics, walking and running classes, nutrition and weight management seminars, smoking cessation groups, massage therapy, and more.
- Bowling
- The Helen Newman Bowling Center, located in the ground floor of Helen Newman Hall, provides 16 lanes of bowling for the enjoyment of the Cornell Community.