Athletics

Posted by admin on Jan 19, 2010 in Featured Articles | 0 comments

Measuring up universities in any context is no doubt a difficult task, and the issue of sports no different. Athletics is one of the hardest areas to determine which university has the edge over another. Does the number of sports offered by the university determine strength? Is it the amount of awards that each school earns annually? How many different leagues the school participates in? In any way one examines this question, arguments will surround the conclusion as to what factors contribute to strong athletic programs. With that in mind, here is how TWU Athletics measures up to the competition.

Schools included in research: UBC, UVic, UFV and Biola.
Categories: Amount of teams, success, and extra curricular.

UBC is the winner in terms of the number of teams available for men and women. The UBC Thunderbirds host 14 different men’s sports and 13 different women’s sports in the CIS as well as in the NAIA. These sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, field hockey, football, golf, ice hockey, rowing, rugby, skiing, soccer, swimming, track and field, and volleyball. This is realistic considering that UBC has the highest enrollment for a university in BC.

UBC has also had the greatest amount of team successes from 1998 to 2009. During this period, the Thunderbirds have won 34 different championships at the CIS level. The Thunderbirds have always won multiple championships in an academic calendar season and took the CIS by storm in 03-04, winning 5 championships. In their Rec department, UBC boasts both “drop in” sports programs and intramurals. With flag football, ice hockey, basketball, and even dodge ball, UBC is an athletic powerhouse in both student athletic competition and recreation.

The UVic Vikes are another team that has enjoyed success at the CIS level and in the NAIA. The Vikes offer nine men’s and women’s CIS teams and, since the 1998 season, has won the third highest number of CIS championships with 10 wins. With enrollment tallies just below 17,000 students, the Vikes are a major threat for competing schools. The school is also in the midst of hosting major sporting events, already having hosted the 2009 field hockey championships, and anticipating rowing (2010), men’s soccer (2011), and women’s soccer (2012) in the near future. UVic is known for its dominant women’s cross country teams, as they have won four straight national titles from 1998-2002 as well as their passion for field hockey which has taken gold four times since 1998. Victoria also has a plethora of recreational sports too. These range from traditional known sports to non-conventional hobbies like walleyball, futsal, field hockey, and Ultimate Frisbee.

Athletics at the University of the Fraser Valley is small for its size. UFV offers all of the same sports as TWU, as well as golf and rowing. UFV is also a relatively new school, having made the jump from the B.C. Colleges Athletics Association to CIS recently.

Since the jump, UFV’s athletics have had low levels of success, as they compete with some of the best programs in Canada in terms of athletics in Canada West.

Biola University boasts nine women’s teams and eight men’s teams since 1904. With enrollment just below 4,000 students, the Eagles play in the Division I league and are competitive in all 10 sports offered. The Eagles have a strong reputation in the U.S. for being a small school powerhouse capable of competing with any team in any sport. Currently, the Eagles men’s basketball team is 16-0 going into this weekend’s games and is looking to capture their first national title. Biola’s intramurals are the most limited recreational option for students. Biola hosts football, frisbee, and volleyball at their school
year-round.