<p>How popular are varsity sports at NU compared to other top schools? Do a lot of students attend the football and basketball games? I've heard that the athletics scene is kind of low-key, but I'm wondering if that's just in comparison to other Big 10 schools.</p>
<p>You can’t really compare to other Big Ten schools because they are all so much bigger. I went to NU and went to every b-ball game and every football game. But there were students who never went. I was there for homecoming last weekend (great win!). They have made the football experience more family-friendly from people from the Evanston area. There were still a lot of students and the marching band was great.</p>
<p>Many of the varsity teams are competitive (women’s lax has been NCAA champions for the past 5-6 years). There are a lot of new sports facilities - including fields on the lakefront on north campus.</p>
<p>My feeling was that NU is a great academic school with Big Ten sports. You can make it what you wish.</p>
<p>As a percentage of the student body, NU student attendance at their sporting events likely CRUSHES the rest of the Big Ten. On the other hand, the chunk that don’t attend ACTIVELY don’t attend much of the time. So it’s a mixed bag. I’d say sports are a pretty big part of campus culture, even if you don’t interact with them directly. It’s very much a positive- I came onto campus with no interest in sports, and I’ve been transformed into a HUGE sports fan.</p>
<p>There’s a handful of super dedicated fans who go stake out spots in the front few rows for just about all the home football games. Then the back of the student section gradually fills in, and the entire stadium itself generally ends up at around 25,000 (of an approximate 49,000 capacity). I’d have to agree with arbiter213 that the reason our turnout appears so measly is that our undergraduate student body is only just over 8,000 to begin with. </p>
<p>Big Ten basketball games are pretty well attended, but the rest of the regular season is just meh. Baseball doesn’t really draw much of a crowd. </p>
<p>There are teams, however, that do super well…as LINYMOM mentioned, our lacrosse team has won five straight national championships. Our tennis, golf, field hockey and soccer teams aren’t too bad either. The big powerhouse sports are probably a little lacking on a national stage, but there are plenty of student-athletes and a nice amount of students who do care about one sport or another. We’re not wholly devoid of spirit! </p>
<p>(I work with the sports section of The Daily Northwestern, so I’d like to think I’m not devoid of spirit at all, but I do understand why the anti-sports attitude is sometimes perceived at NU.)</p>
<p>Lovely, when did you start with the sports section?! I haven’t been paying enough attention to bylines? Or editorial? Ah well. </p>
<p>It should be noted that the student section’s capacity at Ryan Field is only 5k, and its usually full. So, 5k/8k is what we’re talking about.</p>
<p>Also, good call on the super dedicated students- I’m one of them, when I’m on campus 
I’ve been on TV quite a few times as a result, actually. So yah. There are insane people, but we’re the minority. Very few people are super dedicated fans. </p>
<p>But you can help change that, potential students! You don’t even need to come to NU!</p>
<p>For the record… I was at the first practices with women’s lax, when it started as a club (but it wasn’t my thing so I didn’t last long). Not saying the year :)</p>
<p>If you like college sports and want a great academic school, NU is really a great choice. I went there for the academics, location and the Big Ten - we went to all the home games and got to go to games at Michigan, Wisconsin, OSU, etc. Even went to a bowl game! Saw NU beat Bobby Knight and Indiana b-ball (home game). Hey, we were beating #12 Penn State at halftime yesterday. Next up, undefeated Iowa.</p>
<p>I didn’t realize women’s lax had won five until I read this (I must’ve lost count at 4). That’s impressive!</p>
<p>Anyway, to answer the OP, my impression is consistent with LINYMOM: NU is a Big 10 school with plenty of enthusiasm for sports, although certainly lower key than the biggest and best Big 10 schools, but in academics it is king. It is a terrific combination of many things that make a school great: top flight academics; Big 10 sports and plenty of school spirit (it’s not Michigan, but it’s there); a beautiful lakeside campus; a terrific town in Evanston, and you’ve got Chicago at your doorstep. What more could you want (except for warmer weather)?!
I think NU is fabulous. No place I would rather have my kid.</p>