Kenyon to add men’s and women’s squash programs

4/30/2026 12:00:00 PM

GAMBIER, Ohio -- The Kenyon College Department of Athletics, Fitness and Recreation announced today that it will be adding men's and women's squash to its expanding slate of varsity sports programs. The addition of the programs, which will commence varsity competition in the 2027-28 academic year, will bring the department's total to 25 sports, including 13 for women and 12 for men.

"Kenyon is thrilled to welcome women's and men's squash as our newest varsity sports. From the opening of the Lowry Center, it was clear back then that there was a passion for squash on campus and that was reflected in immaculate squash facilities being part of the building," said Celestino Limas, Kenyon's Vice President for Student Affairs. "After seeing great success with our club teams over the years, the timing was right to move forward with this exciting sport that will allow our student-athletes to be representatives of Kenyon in a new arena of competition."

The Lowry Center was built with eight squash courts in its lower level and they've been utilized by recreational players and club players for two decades. The courts also played host to multiple youth tournaments and camps.

The Kenyon squash club has shown various levels of experience and success, peaking in 2009 with the winning of the Serues Cup ('F' Division) and in 2010 with the winning of the Chaffee Cup ('E' Division) at the College Squash Association (CSA) National Team Championships.

Kenyon's Department of Athletics, Fitness and Recreation, which added women's golf this current academic year, will follow the same timetable and process for adding the squash programs. Over the next couple of months, a national search will take place for a head coach, one who will oversee both the men's and women's teams. Once in place, that coach will have the 2026-27 academic year to build the program and prepare it for competition the following year.

Squash is governed by the College Squash Association and is considered a winter sport with the season spanning November through February and the national championship held in early March. Competitions consist of nine individual, best-of-five matches to determine a winner.

CSA Commissioner Harry Smith said, "Kenyon's addition of varsity squash is a strong signal of the continued growth and institutional investment in college squash. Their decision reflects a clear recognition of the value the sport brings to a campus community and positions Kenyon well within the collegiate landscape."

"Adding varsity teams at Kenyon creates meaningful new opportunities for student-athletes and directly supports efforts to expand access to college squash, particularly in priority regions like the Midwest," CSA Director of Expansion Lovey Roundtree said. "This is a meaningful step in strengthening the regional competitive landscape and creating new pathways into the sport."

While paperwork needs to be finalized, the Kenyon teams intend to compete as associate members of the Liberty League, which currently has seven men's teams and six women's teams, including fellow North Coast Athletic Conference member Denison University. The other squash teams in the Liberty League include Bard College, Haverford College, Hobart College (men only), University of Rochester (men only), St. Lawrence University, Vassar College, and William Smith College (women only).

Print Friendly Version

Related Videos

Related Stories