A fresh litter of tigers are taking their first steps on campus, and entering the jungle can be daunting. While I can’t point you towards any academic locations outside of the Marion McCain Building, I will do my best to prepare you for a new year of Dal athletics from the field to the Dalplex.
Whether you were a star athlete at your high school who doesn’t have a clue about Atlantic University Sport (AUS), or you’re just looking to stay active during your time at university, this guide will tell you everything you need to know about Dalhousie sports.
Locations
The most challenging part for all new students at Dal is finding out where they’re supposed to go.
Image credit: Olivia Le
- Any event with a gymnasium involved, like basketball or volleyball, is held in the Dalplex fieldhouse. The fieldhouse is home to multiple basketball and volleyball courts. But on game day, all the courts transform into one main venue surrounded by bleachers. Intramural games mostly take place inside the Dalpex, along with pick-up basketball and even table tennis. If swimming is more your thing, you will be able to watch the Kemp-Fry Invitational Meet in November and another swim meet in January, both at the Dalplex pool. Intramural water sports also take place inside the Dalplex’s Olympic-sized pool.
- Soccer events are held at Wickwire Field, directly across the street from the Dalplex. If you get those locations down, you should have a good idea where most sporting events happen.
- Studley Gym serves as a secondary practice location for both varsity and club sports. When the space is free, it can also be used for intramural games.
- Dal’s downtown Sexton Gym hosts a gymnasium and a smaller weight room. Intramurals are occasionally held here as well.
- The farthest you’ll ever have to stray from campus for a Dal sporting event is if you are looking to watch the varsity hockey teams or partake in hockey intramurals. Both the men’s and women’s teams play in the Halifax Forum, located in the North End on Windsor Street.
- Dal’s hockey teams will soon have a new home when the Oulton-Stanish Centre, an NHL-sized arena, opens on Dal’s Studley campus in 2026. The new rink will stand right next to Wickwire Field, across the street from the Dalplex.
Varsity
Varsity is the top level of sport at Dal, and chances are you will encounter an athlete right away.
At Dalhousie, varsity athletes are everywhere; whether someone’s walking through the quad with the subtle flex of a Tigers bookbag or the murals of current and former star players in the Dalplex. Studley’s campus is packed to the brim with varsity talent.
The Tigers play in the AUS conference of U SPORTS, the top collegiate league across Canada. AUS is the Atlantic sector and is made up of Nova Scotia teams like Dalhousie, their cross-town rivals the Saint Mary’s Huskies, Acadia University, St. Francis Xavier University and Cape Breton University. The Université de Moncton, Mount Allison University, St. Thomas University and the University of New Brunswick. While the University of Prince Edward Island and Memorial University represent P.E.I. and Newfoundland.
At Dalhousie, there are seven different varsity sports: hockey, basketball, volleyball, soccer, cross country, track and field and swimming. Each varsity sport has both a men’s and women’s team.
The best thing about being a student at Dalhousie is that you get free access to every Tigers sporting event when you bring your student ID. Just make sure you get to the game with plenty of time because those lines get quite long.
The Tigers really flourish in the sports some may view as untraditional. Though hockey or basketball might draw students’ attention, Dalhousie has run the AUS in swimming and track and field for the last 30 or so years. The women’s track and field team holds a 35-year-old championship streak, while the men’s team has won 32 of the last 35 AUS championships. Dal excels at aquatics too; the women’s swimming team hasn’t lost a championship since 2000, and the men have only been beaten once in that time period. The best chance to catch those teams is when the swimming team holds invitational meets in November and January, but you’ll have to travel to Moncton if you want to see the track team in action this year.
The Dalhousie basketball and volleyball teams electrify the campus with jaw-dropping dunks and kills whenever they are in town. Filling the Dalplex with loud and obnoxious fans gives an atmosphere that any Dal student needs to take in at least once. Both basketball teams are searching to get back to the AUS championship this year, which is hosted at the Scotiabank Centre and showcases the best hoops the Atlantic provinces have to offer.
Club
Club sports are the hidden gem of Dalhousie athletics. When you strip all the bells and cheers away from varsity, club sports are what is left.
That’s not to say that the club-level sports are less significant. These athletes still get to represent Dalhousie at several intense competitions. Playing any university sport is a big commitment, especially when you are still new to being a student. But it is also a great way to meet new people who share common interests.
The main difference with club sports is that the teams don’t play in the AUS. They play in separate leagues, usually based in Atlantic Canada.
Students have a wide range of sports to choose from, with some of the most prolific on campus being the rugby club, the sailing team and the cheerleading team. That’s just to name a few — Dal offers over 24 club sports.
You can catch some club sports action whenever the Tigers play near Dalhousie.
Intramurals
While varsity and club sport athletes are faced with mandatory practices and face-off against opposing university students, intramurals are designed for athletes who want to stay active beyond their high school years. Dalhousie’s intramural sports are made up completely of students who are playing the sport to have fun. They are a great way for students to escape their gruelling studies and are usually only one or two laid-back sessions a week.
Dalhousie’s intramural structure offers recreational, semi-competitive and competitive leagues, while also adding mini-leagues and tournaments in case those fill up. They also offer co-ed leagues.
Students can choose from 18 different sports, including curling, hockey, basketball, spikeball, inter-tube water polo and rock climbing. Intramurals offer a plethora of ways for students to stay active during the school year.
Students can register for intramurals as a team, a player or a free agent. If you find yourself looking for players, reach out to your department’s student society — someone may have already created a team.
