Letter to Prospective Recruits
Thank you for your interest in Youngstown State University Athletics! At YSU, our coaches and staff work diligently to provide our student-athletes with the best competitive advantages to succeed both on and off the playing fields. Our University provides a challenging curriculum to help students prepare for life after college.
The mission of Intercollegiate Athletics at Youngstown State is to foster a culture of competitive excellence, academic achievement, and student-athlete well-being. Through innovation and collaboration, we advance the University’s mission by focusing on student-athlete personal growth, campus and community impact, and lifelong relationships with students, staff, and alumni. We strive to achieve national competitiveness, enhance Youngstown State’s brand, and provide exceptional student-athlete experiences while being recognized as a leader amongst our peers, and a cornerstone of pride in our community. Our values include
- Accountability
- Innovation
- Learning Â
- Pride
- Respect
- Service
We have been privileged to enjoy a tremendous amount of success on the playing fields and in the classroom, from our four football national championships and numerous conference crowns to our many Academic All-American and All-District honorees.
Athletically, our teams competing in the Horizon League have allowed our department to win the McCafferty Trophy, the conference’s all-sports award, in two of the past three years. In the three years from 2020-21 through 2022-23, 12 different Penguins teams won at least one Horizon League Championship. Adding in three straight NCAA Tournament appearances by our bowling team and our upward trend in football, it’s truly a special time to be a Youngstown State student-athlete.
In the classroom, our student-athletes continue to boast record-setting levels of success. In the Fall 2022 semester, our more than 500 student-athletes combined for a 3.554 GPA for the semester. We had 419 student-athletes finish with a GPA of at least 3.0, and nearly 80 had a 4.0. In the Spring 2023, all 17 programs posted a team GPA of at least 3.0, and 117 student-athletes recorded a GPA during the semester. An impressive 57% of our student-athletes made the Dean’s List.
Our university has made significant investments to enhance the student-athlete experience pertaining to wellness and performance excellence. We pride ourselves on having first-class support areas in the areas of academics, athletic training, sports performance, nutrition and mental health. We also continue to emphasize that our facilities remain current with state-of-the-art upgrades, and our Name, Image, Likeness program is among the top tier among mid-major institutions in the country.
YSU Athletics is committed to ensuring our student-athletes understand that being a collegiate student-athlete is both a privilege and a great opportunity, and giving back to the community is an important education tool we use to demonstrate that philosophy. Our students and staff annually participate in over 100 community events, serving over 10,000 patrons.
Finally, as a University, Youngstown State offers more than 100 undergraduate programs backed by a strong tradition of teaching and research. Youngstown State's colleges include:
It is with sincere hope that you find Youngstown State University the place to further your education so that you can become a part of the winning tradition that is Penguin Athletics.
For more information, go to the YSU Admissions website or contact someone in the athletics department listed on our staff directory.
Go Penguins!!
Ron Strollo
Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics
