Department of Athletics

Kent State softball player and Honors College student Emily Lippe at bat during a softball game.

Emily Lippe, a junior nursing major at Kent State University, has challenged herself athletically and academically since an early age. Having taken advanced courses since she started school and playing softball since she was eight, Emily understands what it takes to have a student-athlete mindset. She employs those skills now more tha...

Honors College
Honors College student and volleyball player Gracey Jarecke on the court while representing Kent State in a women's volleyball game.

Gracey Jarecke, a senior from Denver, Colorado, hones her athletic skills as a defensive specialist for the Kent State  University women’s volleyball team. When she’s not making diving plays and serving aces, she focuses her time as a fashion design major with a minor in arts entrepreneurship, a member of Delta Gamma, a...

Honors College student Richie Dell poses in his baseball uniform holding a baseball.

Richie Dell, a senior molecular biology major, has navigated the last three years as a Kent State University Honors College student as well as a pitcher for the Kent State Men’s Baseball team. With extra coursework from Honors-level classes and playing a Division I sport, he always has to be in tip-top shape - whether on the pitching mound...

Junior Luca Ralph Looks to Push the Ball Downfield

Luca Ralph, a junior midfielder from Maple Grove, Minnesota, talks about her journey from dancing shoes to soccer cleats.

Honors College student Jordan Gilkison tees off during a golf tournament in Notre Dame.

Honors College student Jordan Gilkison has a drive for success - both in the classroom and on the golf course. As a sophomore business analytics major, he balances his time between keeping up with school and serving as a core member of the Kent State University Men’s Golf team. The life of a student-athlete is very competitive. To p...

Kent State Today
Flash the Mascot and Flash the golden eagle in 1985.

On October 12, 1985, a 6-foot egg (constructed by Kent State technology students) was rolled onto the 50-yard line during halftime of Kent State's Homecoming game at Dix Stadium. Earlier in the day, the egg rode in a nest down Main Street in the Homecoming parade, on a float with Kent State cheerleaders. In a cloud of smoke at ...

One of four Kent State women's basketball teams in 1914.

This year's homecoming weekend celebrates our female athletes and 50 years of Title IX, but the Kent State's history of women's athletics goes back more than 100 years.  Pictured here are the members of one of four women's intramural basketball teams formed by the Athletics Association of Kent State Normal College...

Kent State Today
Walk-on try-outs for the Golden Flashes baseball team.

Kent State's Golden Flashes baseball team recently held its annual walk-on tryouts for students who want to play in the 2023 season. Any student seeking to try out had to be enrolled full time (at least 12 credit hours) on the Kent Campus and have proof of a recent physical examination.  The team recently had nine play...

Kent State Running Back Xavier Williams Runs For First Down During MAC Championship Game

Kent State fell short to Northern Illinois in the Golden Flashes' bid for a Mid-American Conference Championship, which would have been their first conference title since 1972. The Huskies led 17-0 early in the second quarter and 24-10 at the end of the third quarter. Senior Quarterback Dustin Crum led an inspired sec...

Kent State Wide Receiver Ja'Shaun Poke looks to break free against Eastern Michigan

Kent State picked up right where it left off at the end of last season -- with a win. The Golden Flashes defeated Eastern Michigan 27-23 Wednesday evening at Dix Stadium. The game marked the season opener for both teams as the Mid-American Conference season was delayed due to the pandemic.  The win marks the first time K...