By Elliot Kwitek (Sports Editor)
What Green Bay athletics means to me is that others enjoy being active in sports and their community by participating as a Green Bay Phoenix. It means that the students who work hard in and out of the classroom bring joy and excitement to the university’s teams. Being able to be a fan and watch our teams play is fun as I am a big sports fan, especially a big Wisconsin sports fan. Being a big Milwaukee Bucks, Green Bay Packer, and Wisconsin Badger fan, adding in another Wisconsin team, one that is the university I attend, brings me more excitement to my love of sports. The University of Wisconsin Green Bay is a smaller school compared to the other UW schools in the state, but it is one of the three Division I schools in the state, including Madison and Milwaukee. Having Green Bay, a school that you did not attend or knew beforehand that it is a DI school, is quite surprising as it makes the university and athletic program even more unique compared to the other UW universities. Having that kind of competition to play against really brings to the atmosphere of Green Bay athletics. Shockingly, our small Wisconsin school plays against UW-Madison, Oklahoma State, and Tennessee, just to name a few of the large DI schools we have played against in the past.
Having the experience of going to some of the games in the past 4 years has been eye-opening and exciting. When I was a freshman, I went to one of our women’s Volleyball games and was shocked to see the engagement from the fans and the school. Not only did the production and quality of everyone working behind the scenes of the game open my eyes, but it reminded me that Green Bay is a DI school. The way the fans and the community cheered on the team as well as practicing traditions during the games like playing specific songs or the Men’s Swim and Dive team standing at the away team’s side of the bleachers wearing nothing but speedos to try to distract the away team. All of it was amazing and even better to witness in person. Green Bay athletics also embodies the spirit and pride of a smaller community, making a mark on a larger stage. It’s inspiring to see our student-athletes balance rigorous academics with the demands of a Division I sports program, all while representing our university with resilience and heart. Every time our teams take the field or court, they remind us that talent and dedication can come from anywhere, even from a smaller campus like ours. Being a part of this experience—seeing our athletes challenge powerhouse teams from bigger schools—only deepens my pride as a fan and student of UW-Green Bay. Green Bay athletics isn’t just about competition; it’s about community, growth, and the belief that we belong on any stage, no matter the size.
