Sports and Recreation
Discover the vibrant athletic life at Drake
Athletics at Drake is about more than sports. It’s about being healthy and feeling good. From intramurals to workout classes to D1 sports, you’ll find a way to manage your fitness that makes sense for you and your goals.
Wellness and Fitness
Whether you're a lifting pro or first-time gym goer, the diverse programs, activities and recreational facilities at Drake will help you stay healthy throughout your academic career.
Bell Center – run the track, do some laps in the pool, or play a game of racquetball. You can even join free Group Exercise classes—anything from yoga to cardio kickboxing.
Wellness Center – stop in for your free Fitness Assessment, Exercise Prescription, Weight Training Clinic or Nutrition Analysis.
Underground Fitness – hit the weights or take your choice of cardio machines at this students-only rec center.
Club Sports
If your game of choice is Ultimate Frisbee, rugby or something in between, consider joining one of Drake’s Sport Clubs. You’ll compete at a high level while representing Drake University throughout the state, region, and nation.
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Intramural Sports
The thrill of the last-minute goal and the come-from-behind-win aren’t just for varsity athletes. Drake offers more than 20 intramural sports for students that want to have a bit of good clean competition right on campus.
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Division 1 Sports
Drake competes in 16 Division I sports—that’s the highest level of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the NCAA. So put on your blue, paint your face, and grab your free student ticket to watch the Bulldogs hit the court or take the field.
Visit godrakebulldogs.com for more information on Drake sports.
Drake Relays
As a student, you’ll have free access to the Drake Relays, a world-class track and field competition that brings top collegiate athletes and Olympians to campus every year. Major records are routinely broken on Drake’s legendary “Blue Oval.”
But ask any Drake student, and they’ll tell you the Relays is much more than a track meet. It’s one of the greatest weeks of the year.
With palpable excitement, campus transforms each Relays week through the most memorable event, Street Painting. This tradition has students painting squares of concrete along a street that runs in front of Cowles Library. And the paint never stays confined to buckets and brushes, as students inevitably turn one another into works of art.
