We thought it would be fun to briefly highlight the histories of OSU’s other fall sports. Here’s part one:
Men’s Soccer
Veterinary Medicine soccer champs, team photo, 1914
Men’s Soccer began at Ohio State around 1912 as an informal league. The first record of the sport was in 1914, when Professor Thomas French mentioned “soccer football” in an article about fall sports. At that time there were ten local teams, from fraternities and boarding houses, playing matches in Columbus. It was not until 1953 that Ohio State’s team played its first intercollegiate season. To date, the team has won three Big Ten Championships (2000, 2007, 2009). They have won 16 of the 22 matches played against Michigan, including the last two years.
Men's Soccer Team (from the 1914 yearbook)
Men's Soccer at Ohio Field, 1913
Women’s Soccer
Women's Soccer, action shot vs. Notre Dame, 1993
Though women’s soccer has existed at OSU since 1977, it didn’t become a Varsity sport until more than 15 years later. When the Women’s Soccer Club first applied for Varsity status, it was denied; the University cited lack of funds for all sports, as well as a lack of competition, since the Club was playing Division III schools. Players argued that Division I teams did not want to play against OSU for fear of losing to a Club team, while at the same time many Division I schools had enacted rules preventing their Varsity teams from playing clubs. The sport finally received Varsity status in 1993, giving the women the same class and facility scheduling opportunities as the men, as well as funding for scholarships, travel and tournament fees. In 2002 the team won the Big Ten Championship.
Women's Soccer Team, inaugural season, 1993
Men’s Cross Country
Men's Cross Country Team (from the 1913 yearbook)
Men’s Cross Country is one of the oldest sports at OSU, as foot races were held on campus before Ohio Field was in use. The earliest reference to an official team was in 1912, the year of the first Big Ten Championship (the Buckeyes placed 6th); by 1914 the team had thirty members and was growing in popularity.
Men's Cross Country, finish line at Western Conference Run, 1917
Women’s Cross Country
Women's Cross Country, beginning of a race, 1975
The first season of intercollegiate Women’s Cross Country was in 1975, with a dozen members. The sport was officially sanctioned by the Big Ten Conference in 1981. The women had a track team, both indoor and outdoor, even before the establishment of a Cross Country Team.
1981 Women's Cross Country Team
September 1, 2011 at 2:08 pm
Very interesting indeed, it’s great to see the progress being made by the soccer team!
September 1, 2011 at 8:40 pm
Its good to see soccer catching on in the US
September 2, 2011 at 10:49 pm
I did not realize that soccer was that old of a sport in collegiate athletics. I guess that is because it hasn’t become as widely televised in the media until recently. It seems that U.S. football has been more widely publicized.
September 3, 2011 at 1:27 am
Totally agree.
david says:
“Its good to see soccer catching on in the US”
September 3, 2011 at 9:00 am
I don’t really hear that much about soccer. When fall comes, all I seem to hear about is football, which I love. I forget about the other sports like soccer, cross country, etc. I enjoyed reading this article.
September 3, 2011 at 2:44 pm
It’s amazing to see how soccer progress in the united states’ cool stuff not to mention those old photos very informative. Nice Post.
September 3, 2011 at 11:21 pm
I play soccer here in Brazil in school and I was looking for fotos of old soccer for my locker so thank you for include the white & black fotos! The uniforms of the girls of 1981 they look more like bath suits or gym girls! I do not believe only 30 years before girls had play soccer with dress like that. My father prohibit me to play soccer if I had to dress myself to play like that!
But thank you again for comparting the fotos!