Sports & Recreation
Sports are everywhere at BW. Whether you're a varsity athlete, play on a club sport team, or intramural competitor, most BW students participate in some kind of sports or fitness activity. That's because you will find an activity and level of competition to suit almost any student.
Varsity Athletics
Generations of student-athletes have played for pride in Baldwin Wallace and love of their sport. A founding member of the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC), BW is a part of NCAA Division III. The Yellow Jackets offer 28 varsity sports (14 men and 14 women), of which 23 compete under the OAC banner.
BW's student-athletes excel in their respective sports and in the classroom. Since 1969-70, BW has had 129 student-athletes selected as Academic All-Americans — most in the OAC and 13th nationally among NCAA Division III colleges.
Find out more about the Yellow Jackets at bwyellowjackets.com.
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Photo Credit: Scott Stokhaug
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Campus Recreation
BW Campus Recreation offers a wide array of programming and facilities for students to gain a holistic approach to recreational and wellness endeavors. These opportunities provide numerous resources for students to relax, meet new friends, challenge their competitive desires and interact within and beyond the campus community. Students can choose from leadership training, certification workshops, daily, weekly and/or monthly programming options. Continue reading for details on the recreation opportunities available on campus.
Competitive Club Sport Teams
If you have an interest and desire to compete on an extramural level, you may be interested in joining one of BW's club sport teams. Our competitive club sport teams play against other college clubs across the country, providing a higher level of competition with an emphasis on fun and fitness. BW club sport teams have won several national championships, and the teams often compete against the highest caliber of clubs in the country.
Students on club sport teams also enjoy the social benefits of being a member of their team, including travel to competitions (sometimes out of state), intra-club activities, practices, instruction and tournament play. Competitive club sport teams include:
- Climbing
- Men's Racquetball
- Women's Racquetball
- Men's Rugby
- Women's Rugby
- Sailing
The BW Women's Rugby Team practicing on the Union Lawn.
The BW Men's Rugby Team match vs. CWRU at George Finnie Stadium.
The men's and women's racquetball teams are perennial powers in the USA Racquetball Intercollegiate National Championships.
Club Sports
BW also offers club sports and activities that do not compete against other colleges. These club sports may be competitive (within the BW community), recreational or instructional. BW even has an archery range right on campus!
- Archery
- Billiards
- Cycling
- Martial arts
- Rock climbing
- Running
- SCUBA/snorkeling
- Ski/snowboard
Outdoor Adventure Club
Would you enjoy a ski trip or kayaking? Or maybe you'd rather just take a bike ride through the Metroparks. BW's outdoor adventure club organizes trips and activities as well as lends equipment such as bicycles and camping gear so you can enjoy the great outdoors.
Annual trips include the Florida Keys; whitewater rafting in West Virginia, Pennsylvania and North Carolina; rock climbing in West Virginia and Kentucky; ski trips to New York; and camping and hiking throughout the year.
Our outdoor adventure club offers many leadership opportunities for students including training and leadership development retreats in the great outdoors.
- Camping
- Canoeing
- Fishing
- Hiking
- Ice Climbing
- Kayaking
- Mountain biking
- Paddleboarding
- Rock climbing
- Skiing
- Whitewater rafting
The outdoor adventure club's annual whitewater rafting trip to Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania taking on the rapids of the Youghiogheny River.
Weekly kayaking and stand up paddleboarding outings take place on Coe Lake near downtown Berea, a quick walk from campus.
Introduction to Stand Up Paddleboarding course on beautiful Coe Lake in Berea, Ohio.
The outdoor adventure club & climbing club's annual ice climbing trip to Peabody's Ice Tower in Fenton, Michigan. For all levels of experience, students learn about the gear needed and how to ice climb.
The outdoor adventure club's annual North Carolina spring break trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains in Rumbling Bald State Park, which includes rock climbing.
The outdoor adventure club in West Virginia hiking the New River Gorge Bridge National Park over on spring break.
The outdoor adventure club's canoe battleship championship team at Wright State University Adventure Summit where the club presented on the benefits of nature, took part in a climbing competition, learned to SCUBA dive and attended two days of presentations.
Intramural Sports
Every year, thousands of BW students compete against each other in one of the most extensive intramural programs for a college of its size in the country. BW's 40 intramural sports include basketball, flag football, volleyball, ultimate frisbee and more. Students have many options for staying active and meeting friends through participation in intramural sports.
Tournaments and leagues are offered throughout the academic year and consist of individuals and teams of all ability levels. One day tournaments are also offered, including: billiards, table tennis, canoe battleship, kayaking, football and cornhole. BW offers men, women and coed leagues.
BW Esports Club
BW Esports Club unifies gamers of all backgrounds on campus (competitive, casual, or curious) into one space where the main goal is to create a community. The BW Esports Club promotes casual and competitive gaming, community-based events, the growth of esports, healthy gaming habits, social interaction, and personal growth and development.
Fitness
The facilities at Lou Higgins Recreation Center, including the workout facilities, weight rooms, pool and racquetball courts, are available for use by all students. You can exercise on your own schedule, work with a personal trainer or participate in a group fitness class. Lou Higgins features include:
- State of the art cardio equipment
- Free weights and strength line equipment
- Functional training areas
- 200-meter indoor track
- Modular courts for basketball, volleyball, tennis, pickleball and badminton
Student wellness and Nature Rx initiatives support student's mental and physical wellness through intentional programming. BW offers a wide range of classes, including Zumba, turbo-kick and insanity, boot camp, conditioning, indoor cycling, water fitness, yoga and pilates. Our classes are offered for all levels from beginner to advanced.
Facilities
The centerpiece of athletic facilities at BW is the Lou Higgins Recreation Center, home to varsity athletics, sports and recreation programs and the Department of Allied Health, Sport and Wellness. The center includes Ursprung Gymnasium, the Harrison Dillard Track, Natatorium, extensive workout facilities and state-of-the-art athletic training facilities.
George Finnie Stadium is the home field for Yellow Jackets football, lacrosse and soccer teams as well as outdoor track and field. Tressel Field - the playing surface inside Finnie Stadium - was upgraded with new turf and a safety pad to reduce concussions. The track surfaces inside Finnie Stadium feature Olympic-quality materials. The adjacent Packard Athletic Center features new training facilities for BW students and offices for the football and lacrosse teams.
Fisher Field (baseball) and the BW Softball Field are full-turf fields, giving BW the distinction of being the first school in the OAC to have fully turfed baseball and softball complexes.
The Pop Collins Tennis Courts are home to the men's and women's tennis teams.
