PNW athletics teams have come a long way since the university became an NCAA Division II school in 2019.
While athletics were always part of university life at PNW and its predecessor schools, Pride teams have gotten more competitive and the university has expanded its sports programs since 2019.
The men’s Hockey team, the first PNW athletic program to compete nationally, tomorrow faces off against Indiana University of Pennsylvania in the opening round of the American Collegiate Hockey Association Division 1 National Tournament. The Hockey team is ranked 11 nationally.
In November, the men’s Soccer team won its first-ever Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament Championship.
In October, the Esports League of Legends team won the Battle for Indiana before going on to win the GLIAC Championship this past February.
In Track & Field, the men’s and women’s Indoor Triple Jump teams have won a combined four GLIAC Championships since 2023.
“We have a fabulous coaching staff, and they are all doing great work,” said Athletic Director Rick Costello. “When I got here 12 years ago, we had roughly 100 student-athletes, today we have 450 student-athletes. That took a lot of work.”
He is convinced that PNW’s emphasis on academics has made a big difference.
“[PNW has] students who are very focused in the classroom, organized and committed to academic excellence, [and] you see that move right into competition,” Costello said. “It’s no surprise to me that students who are this good in the classroom are flourishing and high achievers athletically.”
Overall, PNW teams have won nine championships since 2023.
Costello credits the school’s “student first, athlete second” philosophy as the key to improving teams. The school’s athletes have maintained an average of 3.0 GPA or higher for 16 semesters, which has contributed to the teams’ 96% retention rate of athletes.
“We provide an environment where they can excel on a daily basis,” said Costello.
Some of the university’s newest teams – Esports and Track & Field – have had the greatest success from the start.
“The Battle for Indiana …, was difficult, because the group only had a month to prepare and [this team] had never played together before, “said Esports coach Justin Bragg. “They are ranked 11th in the nation and have been doing really well recently.”
The Esports Call of Duty team is ranked 16th and the E-sports Arenas on Hammond and Westville campuses are nearing capacity daily.
The men’s Soccer team had its best run during the inaugural season of head coach Luke Dunn. Under his direction last year, the team brought home the GLIAC Tournament Championship for the first-time in program history.
“It has been surreal,” said Dunn. “I think the players did a really good job of buying in and welcoming me.”
Dunn is already planning for the next season – and is looking for improvements. “If we do the same thing …, that we did this year, if we have the same record, if we go to nationals …, everything the exact same I personally would consider it a disappointment…because we wouldn’t have improved,” he said. “We’re not saying, ‘hey next year you have to win a championship or go undefeated’, but we have to improve as a group.
“It’s easy to take your foot off the gas,” Dunn said. “Be happy with the season we had, be proud of the achievements. … don’t downplay. don’t ever forget that…but at the same time don’t get content.”
Costello believes the formula for continued athletic success is to emphasize the player and their education first.
“For me, it’s not about championships, it’s about the process, the progress, the people, [and] the culture. “If we continue to focus on that, over time we will [continue] to see great results,” he said.
“Watch out for the Pride,” he said.
