A penguin statue sits on a Youngstown State University wall on Tressel Way on campus, with trees and buildings in the background.

Recruiting Central

Experience Penguins Athletics

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.

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.

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.

Go Penguins!

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Performance Excellence

Academic Success

Athletic Academic Coordinators monitor progress and maintain communication with University Faculty regarding the academic progress of all student-athletes. They provide academic support and assist with academic coaching.

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Mental Health

YSU Athletics is committed to designing programs to support the holistic wellness of its student-athletes. Mental health and mental skills education and counseling are provided by the Student Counseling Services on campus.

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Performance Nutrition

Individual and team nutrition education and sessions are provided to ensure our student-athletes receive proper nutrition. Topics include direct education, meal timing, winning plates, fueling for success, meal planning and goal setting.

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Sports Medicine

YSU’s Sports Medicine team strives to deliver innovative, high-level, patient-centered healthcare to all student-athletes. Through collaboration and relentless communication, the staff maintains an inclusive environment focused on injury risk reduction, education, and patient advocacy. Each student-athlete and sport has a primary athletic trainer assigned to provide healthcare.

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Sports Performance

The Sports Performance staff provides YSU student-athletes with training that optimizes development while prioritizing health, character and team culture. Through a scientifically based program, the staff utilizes sport-specific training to help each student-athlete achieve their full potential in a safe and structured environment.

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What is Performance Excellence?

YSU Performance Excellence is a collaboration of units within the Athletics Department focusing on supporting the athletic and academic performance needs of our student-athletes.

Sports Performance, Performance Nutrition, Sports Medicine, Academics, and Mental Health staffs work together on a daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly basis to provide education, resources, and support for student-athletes on an individual and team level.

Beeghly Center - Youngstown State women's basketball vs. Thiel on Nov. 3, 2025. Photo by Robert Hayes.

State-of-the-Art Facilities

YSU continues to emphasize that our facilities remain current with state-of-the-art upgrades for student-athlete development and fan experience. Major on-campus construction since 2012 includes:

The opening of the Watson and Tressel Training Site, containing a 300-meter indoor track and a full-length football field for indoor practices and lacrosse matches
The building of the Covelli Sports Complex, which includes Farmers National Bank - the home of YSU’s lacrosse, soccer and track and field teams - and the YSU Softball Field
The opening of the YSU Indoor Tennis Center
A major renovation to Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center
Plus, weight rooms and training rooms in Stambaugh Stadium and Beeghly Center continue to receive enhancements, and team locker rooms are continually refreshed with new amenities.

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Top-Tier NIL Support

Youngstown State’s Name, Image, Likeness program is among the top tier among mid-major institutions in the country. YSU Athletics has partnered with Opendorse to support the mission to prepare all student-athletes for success in the new era of college sports with the market's leading NIL partner. The department also has partnerships with Fanstake, NIL Store and Athlete’s Threads. YSU Athletics set department records for number of disclosures and NIL revenue during the 2025-26 academic year.

Logo: Penguins NIL

Learn More About YSU's NIL Program

Brooke Adkins - 2025-26 YSU Women's Basketball Photo Day - Sept. 18, 2025. Photo by David Dermer.

Competitive Success

Youngstown State is consistently among the top all-around athletic departments in the Horizon League, finishing among the top two in the McCafferty Trophy standings for the League’s all-sport champion every year since 2020-21. The Penguins won a share of the trophy for the first time in 2020-21, and they won outright titles in 2022-23 and 2025-26.

5 National Championships

107 Team League Championships

585 Individual League Championships

849 All-Conference Selections

26 Academic All-Americans

1,123 Academic All-Americans

16 FCS Playoff Appearances

3 Bowling Final Four Appearances

YSU Track and Field Champions celebrate winning the men's and women's titles

Youngstown State's bowling team receives its 2025 national championship rings at the YSU football game on Oct. 4, 2025.

Beau Brungard Walter Payton Award ceremony

YSU Women's Tennis Horizon League Champions | April 26, 2026

Brand Building

Abbie Householder sits at a table for an interview on ESPN+ following the quarterfinals of the 2025 Horizon League Volleyball Championship

Youngstown State is covered by some of the most dedicated media members at the mid-major level in all of college athletics. Student-athletes receive many interview opportunities for both print and broadcast media.

Emma Hoffman, Sami Drew and Lexy Koslakiewicz stand with lacrosse sticks with lights behind them at the team's 2025-26 media day

YSU has the largest social media following in the Horizon League. Staff members and coaches are dedicated to promoting student-athletes through high-quality gameday coverage and showcasing their personalities outside of competition.

Kennedy Dean pitches to a participant during the 2026 Special Olympics Field Day at the Watson and Tressel Training Site

Giving back to the community is an opportunity to demonstrate that being a Penguin is both a privilege and a great opportunity. YSU’s student-athletes, coaches and staff completed nearly 3,700 community outreach hours in 2025-26.

Game day Identity

Youngstown State student-athletes compete in distinctive uniforms that combine tradition, branding, performance and modern design across the department’s 21 sports.

Logos: Youngstown State Y and Nike

Lea Parham holds her shoes in a studio setting during the YSU track and field media day

Women's Track & Field

Softball

Football

Men's Basketball

Allison Ramirez Romero holds her goggles above her eyes while in her swimming uniform at the YSU women's swimming and diving media day.

Women's Swimming & Diving

Women's Soccer

Men's Golf

Baseball

Athletics Administration

The athletics department’s upper administration is comprised of individuals who are Youngstown State alumni and Mahoning Valley natives who care deeply about the success of our student-athletes. Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Ron Strollo was a team captain on Youngstown State’s first national championship football team in 1991 and is a native of nearby Austintown. He has served as Youngstown State’s Executive Director or Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics since 2001, and he carries a vision for successful, broad-based programs and providing student-athletes tools to succeed on and off the playing fields.

Mission, Vision and Leadership Team

Madyson Marx holds the 2025 NCAA Bowling National Championship trophy, with Steve Pinciaro to her left and Ron Strollo and Doug Kuberski to the right, in front of lanes at the Suncoast Bowling Center.

Our Campus

Rear view of the penguin statue on One Tressel Way with the sunrise in the background

Youngstown State's seal on a pillar on a campus entrance

Students cheering at a YSU basketball game

Photo of students walking in YSU's campus core near Moser Hall.

Youngstown State University, a comprehensive, public institution, is a major driver of the region’s economy and plays an enormous role in the educational, financial, and social well-being of Northeast Ohio, Western Pennsylvania and beyond. With nearly 12,000 students, more than 1,500 employees and nearly 113,000 alumni around the world, YSU embraces the important role it plays in enhancing the futures of our students by empowering them to discover, disseminate, and apply their knowledge.

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YSU Housing & Residence Life

Youngstown State University offers five on-campus residence hall options with many amenities, plus the University Courtyard Apartments offer students an off-campus lifestyle with the benefits of on-campus living.

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Nearby apartment options:

University Edge Youngstown The Enclave The Flats at Wick Campus Lofts

Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley

Within walking distance of Youngstown State University, historic downtown Youngstown offers lodging, dining and nightlife options. Entertainment venues include the Covelli Centre, Youngstown Foundation Amphitheater, and The Phelps Street Gateway. Nearby Fellows Riverside Gardens is part of beautiful Mill Creek MetroParks.

Explore Mahoning

View of downtown Youngstown from the loge level of Stambaugh Stadium

Additional Resources

NCAA Eligibility Center Want to play college sports? Division I Sports Eligibility Information YSU Financial Aid and Scholarships YSU First Year Student Services Penguin Nickname Legend