Sports & Recreation

ESF Athletics Recruitment Form
Student Athletic Handbook—PDF, Word

The intercollegiate athletics program at ESF can trace its roots all the way back to 1912, when students organized a Forestry Club on campus that has sponsored an intercollegiate timber sports competition every year since. Student-athletes at ESF also competed on Syracuse University intercollegiate teams for much of the College’s history, until a change in regulations prohibited their participation in the NCAA Division I level sports programs offered at SU.

Students at ESF today have the opportunity to compete on several intercollegiate athletic teams sponsored by the College, including soccer, golf, cross country, and timber sports (Woodmen’s Team). The intercollegiate athletics program at ESF is growing, and there are plans to add more sports teams in the future. The College has been approved for membership in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and our teams will compete against NAIA and NCAA Division III level teams in 2010. Our team name is “The Mighty Oaks” and our uniforms proudly display the College’s green, white and gold colors. You can learn more about ESF’s intercollegiate teams by following the links below.

ESF students can also participate in a wide variety of intercollegiate sports clubs and intramural sports activities offered through Syracuse University. These include intercollegiate club-level teams in tennis, volleyball, skiing, ice hockey, and more than 35 other sports. Please follow the links below to learn more about these teams, and about the University’s intramural and recreation programs.

ESF Intercollegiate Teams

Cross Country: This is the first season of competition for ESF’s new men’s cross country and women’s cross country teams, and we are off to an impressive start. Our teams compete against NAIA and NCAA Division III teams from the upstate New York area. They will run a seven meet schedule of intercollegiate competition this fall (2009).
Golf: Established in the spring of 2007, the men’s golf team competes in both the fall and spring semesters in college and NCAA-sanctioned tournaments across New York State. The team practices at the Links at Erie Village (www.golferielinks.com), located just minutes from campus, and often plays at Syracuse University’s Drumlins Golf Course.
Soccer: ESF fields intercollegiate soccer teams for men and women, and our teams play and practice on excellent soccer fields provided at Syracuse University. These ESF teams will compete against a combination of college varsity teams (Elmira, SUNYIT, and Paul Smith’s), junior college teams (Onondaga C.C., Cayuga C.C.), and major university club teams (Cornell, Rochester, Syracuse, Ithaca, Cortland, Oswego) for the fall 2009 season, with plans to move to a fuller schedule of varsity competition in 2010.
Woodsmen's Team (Co-Ed) Established in 1912 as the Forestry Club, the Woodsmen's Team uses traditional old-fashioned logging techniques as a sport. These events include horizontal chop, axe throw, pole climb, as well as many more. They compete with other colleges in the northeast and Canada and conduct demonstrations on campus and at the New York State Fair.

Sports and Recreation at Syracuse University

SU Club Sports: ESF students are eligible to participate in more than 45 clubs and sports programs offered at Syracuse University. Many of SU's club teams provide a very competitive level of intercollegiate competition and include opportunities to travel to national tournaments. Other club teams put a greater focus on student recreation. Check out the annual Club Sport Activity Fair held at the beginning of the fall semester, check the web, or contact a team member for more information.
SU Intramurals: Intramural opportunities at SU include tennis, flag football, softball, ultimate frisbee, broom ball, floor hockey, volleyball, basketball, soccer, racquetball, dodgeball, wiffleball, and kickball.
SU Recreational Services: Recreational Services coordinates a variety of recreational programs, activities, and facilities at Syracuse University. Check out their website for information on the opportunities available to you.