By OAKLEE FIELDER
Sports at universities have always been a thing. Everywhere you look, collegiate sports is making a name for itself in the world. With that said, how big of an impact does it have at a smaller level? Not on the nation or the state, but the campus itself, or even the town it’s located in.
There’s no question that the Rangers and Lady Rangers have an impact on Alva and NWOSU, but just how big is that impact? Northwestern is a small campus located in a small town, but despite that, the athletes create big ripples on the campus and even in the community.
The athletic department has a large impact on the very being of Northwestern. Out of the 1,425 students at Northwestern, about 618 of them are athletes. That makes the percentage of student-athletes to the total enrollment 43%. That means almost half of the students at Northwestern are athletes.
NWOSU’s southern counterpart, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, has about 3,000 students and about 400 athletes. SWOSU’s percentage of 13% is a staggering difference compared to Northwestern’s percentage.
The athletes at Northwestern are not just half of the student population, but they are also some of the best student-athletes in the nation and some of the brightest students at Northwestern. Second to their sports, academics are what the Rangers and Lady Rangers do best. In 18 of the last 22 semesters, the athletic department had above a 3.0 GPA.
“The impact of sports at Northwestern is a positive one,” said Brad Franz, the athletic director at Northwestern. “I think we exemplify the word student-athlete here at Northwestern.”
The student-athletes on Northwestern’s campus do more than just win games. They play big roles in the Alva community. They help out with local events like the pumpkin patch, they help move tables and chairs at events and even help residents move in and out of their houses.
“The community is very welcoming,” Franz said. “It’s a win-win situation for both sides.”
Just the fact that the Rangers and Lady Rangers are so involved in their communities provides evidence that the sports at Northwestern have a large impact everywhere. The community service and the help they provide to the Alva community are what set Northwestern athletics apart from other schools.
“Some places all they do is win, but they don’t help the community,” Franz said. “They don’t care about academics, so I think we keep everything in check.”
The Northwestern athletic department is focused on more than just winning games, but also creating people who work for their communities and are overall outstanding individuals.
“I think we try to build a whole person and not just a person that focuses on winning and losing,” Franz said.
Northwestern athletics also gives the school a sense of pride. It gives Northwestern something to be proud of and excited about. Multiple teams and individuals have done so well that they are among the best in the Great American Conference.
The women’s basketball team won the GAC Tournament and went to the NCAA DII regional tournament, competing on a national level. The soccer team made it to the GAC tournament after an amazing year, coming back from a rough 2024. Men’s basketball just barely missed making the tournament. Baseball just recently clinched its berth in the GAC tournament. Five rodeo competitors are being sent to the nationals, and women’s golf’s Gracie Doke is headed to the regional DII competition.
With all that success, the Northwestern campus is bound to be proud and prideful of its athletic department. This makes for a happy and positive campus. With success in any department, whether athletic, music or even theater, any campus will be full of pride. Shane Hansen, the NCAA Faculty Athletic Representative at NWOSU, sees the pride on Northwestern’s campus. Not only does he see pride, but a place for the community to put passion and have a good time.
“Our sports give the community and campus a sense of pride,” Hansen said. “They give the community a place to put forth passion and be entertained, as well as giving a community to the students on campus.”
Dr. Chandler Mead, a past defensive coordinator for the NWOSU football team and current NWOSU health and sports science instructor, says the sports help give Northwestern on a national level. Sports allow students around the nation to see Northwestern and consider it for their future education.
“Athletics bring awareness of the University, where we are, where we’re located, our goals and our mission,” Mead said. “A past president once said, ‘Athletics are the front porch of this university,’ and I agree with her.”
After it’s all said and done, the athletics at Northwestern have a large impact on the school in more ways than one.
The teams bring pride and notoriety to the university, the student-athletes bring academic success and help in the community, they represent almost half of the student population and provide ways for Northwestern to be a positive happy campus.