There’s a common misconception that Penn students don’t care about sports.
Sure, we might not compare to SEC schools known for tailgating every Saturday, or even state schools with a darty culture. But Penn students generally care about sports — just not Penn sports.
At least, that was true until rising senior forward TJ Power sunk two critical shots from deep — with under ten seconds on the clock — sending the Ivy Madness final to overtime and leading to the Quakers punching their first ticket to March Madness since 2018.
Something about the Quakers being a March Madness contender set campus ablaze. There were watch parties at college houses. Smokey Joe’s was filled to the brim as Illinois vs. Penn fanfare replaced typical Thirsty Thursday shenanigans.
Despite on-campus excitement, the Quakers exited March Madness almost as quickly as they entered, suffering a 105-70 loss to the Fighting Illini in the round of 64. Student attention was quickly redirected from the surprise campaign to the upcoming Spring Fling artist announcement.
For a flickering moment, student sports were important on campus. It was rare, it was there, and I remembered it all too well as I watched attendance numbers dwindle at my personal Superbowl — the 130th Penn Relay Carnival.
Penn students and the broader Penn community should be showing up for student-athletes all year long, but club sports are often the most ignored.
According to Penn Admissions, approximately 1,100 undergraduates at Penn are varsity student-athletes, representing around ten percent of the student body. The University even boasts about providing “comprehensive support for our scholar athletes as they embrace the challenge of competing while pursuing rigorous academics” to prospective students.
Conversely, over 1,500 students are involved in 36 competitive club sports, while over 4,500 students are involved in more casual intramural sports. Many club programs contest sports outside of the University’s 33 varsity teams, representing the highest level of competition for sports like ultimate frisbee, hockey, and sailing.
Penn club sailing had one of the most dominant seasons of any Penn sports program.
Unlike other club programs, which compete in a club division separated from varsity athletics, the Quakers compete in the Intercollegiate Sailing Association against well-funded varsity programs like Stanford, Tulane, and Harvard.
Despite the odds, the Quakers managed to come out on top, capturing the America trophy over the US Naval Academy and Georgetown for the first time in program history last April. Penn was the only club team in the ICSA to qualify for both the Open Team Race Nationals and the Open Fleet Race National Championships during the 2025-26 season.
Penn club sailing ultimately finished sixth overall at the Open Fleet Race National Championships, beating out eleven funded varsity programs and Fordham, the only other club team to qualify, all while not holding tryouts.
While Penn club sailing benefits from a full-time coach and a supportive alumni community, other club sports at Penn are entirely coached and managed by students.
Penn club swimming has four player-coaches on their student board, who create practice schedules and manage workouts. Even though the team only practices for five hours a week due to space-sharing limitations, it consistently excels at the national level.
Twenty Quakers qualified for the 2026 TYR College Club Swimming National Championship last April. 2026 Engineering Graduate and former club swim co-president Caitlin Fagan finished eleventh in the nation in the 200-yard butterfly, while rising College senior Kayla Nguyen competed in four individual events, cruising to a ninth-place finish in the 200-yard fly.
Penn men’s club water polo has taken the Mid-Atlantic conference title nine times while operating on a player-coach system. Even though Penn’s club hockey programs have a part-time coach, many prospective players hit the ice without knowing the basics, ultimately learning from fellow players with more experience.
There’s a low barrier for entry for most of the club sports programs at Penn. While dues are in place to cover travel costs for most teams, most club sports don’t hold tryouts or field multiple teams to ensure everyone can compete. Compared with varsity programs, which often utilize strict recruitment standards even at the JUCO or D-III level, club sports provide a unique opportunity for students to compete and explore.
Club sports create an environment where everyone can excel, from elite recruits who decided to forgo varsity competition to former athletes looking to try something new. Don’t just support Penn athletics when we make national headlines.
