We May Be the ‘Ramblers’ but our Athletes Deserve a Field on Campus

How far are you willing to go to support Loyola’s soccer, softball and rugby teams?

There’s no way to perfectly quantify the results to such a question, but I would venture the answer lies somewhere on the cracked pavement along the mile-long walk separating Loyola’s Lake Shore Campus and Hoyne Field. 

Located one mile west of campus on Devon Avenue and Hoyne Avenue, Hoyne Field is home to Loyola’s Division I NCAA men’s and women’s soccer teams as well as the softball team. Club sports, such as men’s and womxn’s rugby, also rely on Hoyne for games and practices.

All of these sports have the ability to draw crowds when they’re given the platform and opportunity to do so. In August, Loyola Women’s soccer set an overall attendance record, for men and women, assembling 1,178 attendees at their “Pack the Park” game against Depaul University, the Phoenix reported. Loyola provided shuttles for students decked out in maroon and gold to support the Ramblers, but this isn’t an every game occurrence.

Shuttling students wouldn’t be necessary if they could just leave their homes and walk less than a block to see their teams play. The concept seems obvious — the same reason there’s a ginormous arena in the center of campus for the basketball and volleyball teams. 

So why are certain teams not given the same level of consideration? 

Loyola’s new Campus Plan considers the area around West Loyola Avenue as a potential greenspace or athletic field, the Phoenix reported.

“The incorporation of high-quality outdoor green-space is also recommended within the residential zone,” the plan reads. “Student recreation improvements include satellite fitness centers located in the new residential halls, and new recreation fields.”

Loyola is alluring to so many students because of its location within Chicago and position on the lakefront, but this placement makes it extremely difficult for the school to accommodate a growing student population with specific needs. 

The Loyola’s Campus Plan states the intention to foster a lively campus with expanded residential options and enhancements to student service facilities. 

While classrooms, libraries and dorms are all essential to a healthy school, so are sports. 

The value of feeling like you are a part of something bigger than yourself can’t be understated. When 58% of the student population at Loyola are commuters, providing events and spaces where people can connect are essential to forming communities on campus.

Sports provide a space where students can channel their energy. Regardless of the outcome, there’s a feeling of transcendence among spectators and players alike.

This is why every year during the Olympics people who otherwise wouldn’t pay attention to sports can’t help but find themselves rooting for a young man performing pommel horse, or tearing up as USA women’s rugby claws their way to a bronze medal. 

Loyola needs to provide a regulation size sports field on campus for these underserved athletes. There’s so much to be gained and so little to be lost from creating a space where Loyola students can come easily together to support one another outside of academics.