When I first came to campus in the summer of 2005 to interview for an assistant coaching position, my immediate thought was: Wofford is the best-kept secret in Division I athletics. I could not believe how a small liberal arts college could offer so much to prospective student-athletes.
True student-athletes are looking for some combination of high academic standards and successful Division I competition. Most high school athletes believe they are going to have to choose one or the other—to earn a high-level degree or pursue athletics at the most competitive collegiate level. Student-athletes who come to Wofford, however, make no concessions on either front. They receive a nationally ranked and recognized education while playing the sport they love with and against some of the most talented and hardworking athletes in the country.
We recruit against programs across the country, and when a student-athlete chooses Wofford, we invariably hear the same reasons. Their decision almost always comes back to being able to have both the best in academics and the best in athletics. Other colleges and universities simply do not offer the same balance that Wofford does.
UNIQUE… AND BETTER
Wofford College is a unique place for all of its students but even more so for student-athletes. With a student body of just 1,650, student-athletes represent almost 25 percent of the student population. Student-athletes are expected to fulfill academic requirements to maximum capability—from their first year through graduation four years later. We have had a 100 percent graduation rate for all of our baseball players in the past 10 years, and we expect that trend to continue. Also, there are no easy majors for student-athletes at Wofford. Student-athletes on the baseball team study pre-med, pre-law, finance, modern languages, history, business, philosophy, mathematics, etc.
Wofford College is a place where our student-athletes are pushed and challenged as much academically as they are athletically. Wofford student-athletes cannot hide in big classes because of the college’s 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio. They have to manage the time commitment required to compete at the Division I athletic level with their classes, labs, study sessions, co-curricular activities, leadership roles on campus and in the community, volunteer commitments and more.
ON-CAMPUS INTIMATE ATMOSPHERE
Ninety-four percent of students live on campus all four years, with their living and learning experience culminating in The Village during their senior year. A first-class apartment complex unparalleled at any other college or university in the country, The Village helps our student-athletes make that all-important transition from college to the real world. For four years, Wofford student-athletes are challenged on all fronts, and when they graduate they are definitely ready for what’s next, whether that be graduate school, dental school, a demanding job or standing in front of their own classroom and working with their own team as a teacher and a coach.
Wofford College offers student-athletes the complete college experience—academic challenge, athletic competition, residential college life and preparation for the real world. The student-athletes who choose to push themselves in all areas of their lives for four years succeed. Wofford’s program means that student-athletes who say “yes” to the challenge of Wofford College do not hear “no” from future employers, graduate schools or professional programs after graduation. It’s a special place, and one that I’m proud to represent.
That’s why Wofford!
by Todd Interdonato
Head Baseball Coach