July 30, 2008

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame ranks number one in the nation when it comes to intramural sports participation.

In addition, Notre Dame students rate third nationally when it comes to filling the stands for games – and fifth in the category of “jock schools.” Notre Dame also stands 13th in rankings of athletics facilities.

All those numbers and ratings came from a survey by The Princeton Review that asked 120,000 students at 368 top colleges to rate their schools on dozens of topics and report on their campus experiences. Ranking lists report the top 20 colleges in 62 categories in the 2009 edition of The Princeton Review’s annual college guide, The Best 368 Colleges, that went on sale Tuesday.

Notre Dame took the top position in the category of “Everyone Plays Intramural Sports,” with students responding to the question, “How popular are intramural sports?”

Finishing behind Notre Dame were Whitman College (Walla Walla, Wash.), Penn State, Ripon (Wis.) College and Wabash College (Crawfordsville, Ind.).

In the category of “Students Pack the Stadium,” students were asked, “How popular are intercollegiate sports?” Florida finished first in that category, followed by Maryland and Notre Dame.

The “Jock Schools” category was based on a combination of survey questions concerning intercollegiate and intramural sports and the popularity of the Greek system (Notre Dame does not have social fraternities or sororities). Clemson took the top spot in that category, followed by Florida, Wabash, Penn State and Notre Dame.

In the category of “Best Athletic Facilities” ratings were based on student rankings of campus athletic facilities. Maryland, Texas A&M and Wabash topped the ratings, with Notre Dame ranked 13th. Notre Dame figures to improve in years to come in that category, with the opening this spring of a new softball stadium, groundbreaking this spring for new stadia for soccer and lacrosse, plus plans for new facilities for track and field, tennis and rowing, and imminent renovations for the Joyce Center that is home to basketball, hockey, volleyball and fencing.

More than 91 percent of Notre Dame’s student body participated in at least one program offered by RecSports during 2007-08. More than 1,000 students participated in 24 club sports, including bowling, climbing, cycling, field hockey, figure skating, fly fishing, gymnastics, martial arts, men’s and women’s boxing, men’s rowing, men’s volleyball, pom pon, water polo, rugby, sailing, skiing, squash, ultimate Frisbee, women’s ice hockey and world Tae Kwon Do. Together those clubs held over 2,100 practices and played over 320 contests. The 64 intramural and interhall programs sponsored by RecSports last year drew 10,473 participants. Over 1,000 teams in various sports, including full-pads football, basketball, broomball, hockey, softball, and tennis, competed in 1,610 games. More than 4,000 individuals participated in at least one of the 1,290 classes offered through 116 fitness programs. Instructional classes, special events and family programming drew another 3,000 to RecSports.

Overseeing Notre Dame’s RecSports activities are Director of RecServices/RecSports Sally Derengoski and Director of Intramural/Club Sports Rich O’Leary.

The lists in The Princeton Review are based on surveys of students (average 325 per campus) at the 368 schools in the book during the 2007-08 and/or previous two school years. Ninety-five percent were completed online. Five percent were paper surveys completed on campuses. The 80-question survey asked students about their school’s academics, administration, campus life, student body and themselves.

The Princeton Review is a New York-based education services company also known for its test-prep courses.

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The Princeton Review – 2009 College Survey Results