At Washburn, you don’t have to look too hard to find free sports fun right here on campus. The athletics program here is one of the best in the country. There are many factors that make the Washburn Ichabods so relevant.  You obviously have the student-athletes that make the teams great. With great athletes, you have to have coaches that need to lead those athletes.  With the human aspect covered, another element of Washburn Athletics is sometimes overlooked. 

Part of what makes WU athletics the best is the conference that the Ichabods play in. The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association is considered by many to be the best conference in Division II. You can look at the championships of the various sports in NCAA DII and you will find an MIAA team in contention.

Another factor in WU’s success is the coaching staffs of each team. Coach Bob Chipman, 36 year head man of the men’s basketball team, is the winningest coach in the MIAA and the 25th most wins in all levels of NCAA basketball. On the other side of the coin, first year head coach Harley Douglas has led his baseball team to one of the best seasons in Ichabod baseball. New or experienced, Washburn has many coaches that demand respect that the University deserves.

The final and maybe most important aspect of the athletic programs are the athletes. Nobody makes the sports teams what they are like the athletes. You will see these student-athletes next to you in your classes and around campus. Knowing the athletes will add to your enjoyment of going to the games. It is fun to see how the athletes grow from being a freshman on the sideline to a star on the golf course.  

There is so much to do around campus and around town, making it easy to overlook the convenience of going to the venues. Just a quick walk across campus with your friends and your Washburn ID can provide an afternoon or evening of fun cheering on your fellow classmates. It’s not too late to check out some of the finest athletes in the game. The baseball and softball teams are still fighting to make a run at the end of the season, as are the tennis and golf teams. You can’t go wrong with any of these sports. The weather is nice, the teams are good, and the games are free. You are out of excuses.