6 New York colleges with vibrant NCAA sports scenes
On-campus school spirit runs high at SUNY Cortland. Credit: SUNY Cortland
If you're looking to go to a New York college with a robust sports scene, tradition and school spirit, here are six schools to check out:
Syracuse University
Syracuse fans at the JMA Wireless Dome Credit: Icon Sportswire
Syracuse is synonymous with big-time college sports and has produced countless professional athletes over the years. It is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and is the only New York state school in a Power 4 conference — the other Power 4 conferences are the SEC, Big Ten and Big 12.
The Orange routinely play in high-profile national games in major sports such as football and men’s and women’s basketball. Though the men's basketball team has fallen off in recent years, it won a national championship in 2003 with Carmelo Anthony leading the way.
Syracuse is also a national power in men’s and women’s lacrosse.
Cornell University
Cornell's Jonathan Castagna, center, celebrates after scoring during the Jan. 3 NCAA college hockey game against Omaha. Credit: AP/Adrian Kraus
The Big Red play in the historic Ivy League, a conference full of tradition across multiple sports. Cornell, located in Ithaca, is a perennial power in men’s ice hockey, winning two NCAA Division I national championships along with eight Frozen Four appearances in its history. The wrestling program has produced 25 national champions.
St. John's University
St. John's Red Storm head coach Rick Pitino at Madison Square Garden. Credit: Brad Penner
St. John’s is a major player in the college basketball world as a member of the Big East Conference. In the three seasons that Rick Pitino has been head coach, the Red Storm’s portfolio of regular-season games played at Madison Square Garden, as well as the average attendance for them, has ballooned. In the two seasons before his arrival, the Storm played nine Garden dates and average attendance was 8,969. This past season, St. John’s played 12 regular season dates at the Garden and average attendance was 16,386.
United States Military Academy at West Point
The Army West Point Black Knights at Michie Stadium in West Point. Credit: Getty Images/Edward Diller
Army competes at the Division I level in all sports. Army’s annual football game against archrival Navy is one of the biggest and most prestigious events on the college sports calendar, drawing large crowds in person and on television. This year’s game will be played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
SUNY Cortland
Cortland is national powerhouse in Division III athletics, winning national championships in eight different sports in its history. Cortland plays in "the biggest little game in the nation" when it faces Ithaca College in football for the Cortaca Jug at Yankee Stadium.
Utica University
The Pioneers’ men’s hockey team is a Division III national powerhouse. Utica’s fan culture and atmosphere is rivaled by few schools in any division. The Pioneers have been ranked No. 1 in home attendance across all of Division III for 19 consecutive seasons. The Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium has a capacity of 4,000 fans for ice hockey.
