Facts about Brown
Athletics
Carrying on an intercollegiate athletic tradition more than 150 years old, the Brown Bears compete in the Ivy League and against other colleges and universities at the NCAA Division I level. Brown has one of the nation’s broadest arrays of varsity teams — 37 in all, 17 for men and 20 for women, the nation's largest athletic program for women.
U.S. News and World Report has named Brown athletics to the College Sports Honor Roll as one of the nation’ s top 20 athletic programs. Last year, Brown had 21 teams honored by the NCAA with public recognition awards for academic achievement, the third most in the nation.
Brown teams regularly compete in NCAA championships, with the women’s crew team winning the last two NCAA Championships, and capturing six NCAA titles in the last 11years. In addition, men’s soccer, baseball, and men’s tennis have made NCAA playoff appearances in the last several three years, with football, women’s basketball and men’s lacrosse winning Ivy League Championships. Both the men’s soccer (19) and women’s soccer (12) teams have won more Ivy League titles than any other Ivy school. In addition, 11 sports finished the season ranked in the Top 20 in their respective sports.
Brown athletes also achieve at the highest level on an individual basis. Last year alone, Brown boasted a school record 18 Academic All-Americans, 14 All-Americans, 10 national qualifiers, several players drafted by professional leagues, two Ivy League Rookies of the Year, two Ivy Players of the Year, and Olympic gymnastics silver medalist Alicia Sacramone ’10.
Alumni of Brown Athletics are equally decorated, many going on to success in professional leagues, the Olympics and being honored for their achievement off the playing field. In 2007, former Brown football and NFL standout Steve Jordan was honored with an NCAA Silver Anniversary Award for success on the playing field, in the work place and in the community. In 2009, Brown had two former players in the Pro Bowl, Sean Morey’99, representing the Arizona Cardinals, and Zak DeOssie’07, with the New York Giants. Forty-five Brown students or alums have participated in the Olympic games, including 27 in the last 10 years.
Brown student-athletes do not just dedicate themselves on the playing field and in the classroom, but in the community as well. For example, the Brown Department of Athletics and the Vartan Gregorian Elementary School have a close-to-20-year-relationship. Each fall, teams adopt classrooms in a special ceremony, and Brown student-athletes volunteer their time to help mentor the school’s students.