| Bowdoin Polar Bears | |
|---|---|
 | |
| University | Bowdoin College |
| Conference | New England Small College Athletic Conference (primary) NEISA (sailing) EISA (nordic skiing) |
| NCAA | Division III |
| Athletic director | Tim Ryan |
| Location | Brunswick, Maine |
| Varsity teams | 30 |
| Football stadium | Whittier Field[1] |
| Basketball arena | Morrell Gymnasium |
| Ice hockey arena | Sidney J. Watson Arena |
| Baseball stadium | Pickard Field |
| Other venues | Leighton Sailing Center Brunswick Golf Course Howard F. Ryan Field LeRoy Greason Pool William Farley Field House |
| Mascot | Polar Bear |
| Nickname | Polar Bears |
| Colors | Black and white[2] |
| Website | athletics |
The Bowdoin Polar Bears are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Bowdoin College, located in Brunswick, Maine. The Polar Bears compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC). Bowdoin College currently fields teams in fourteen men's sports and sixteen women's sports. The polar bear team name was selected to honor Robert Peary of the class of 1877 who lead the first expedition that reached the North Pole.[3]
All Bowdoin Polar Bears sports teams compete in NCAA Division III, and 25 of 30 teams compete in the NESCAC. Bowdoin College was one of the eleven charter members who joined together to form the new New England Small College Athletic Conference in 1971.
Most Bowdoin Polar Bears teams have on-campus facilities, and most are located on the south side of campus, including Sidney J. Watson Arena for ice hockey; Howard F. Ryan Field for field hockey and lacrosse; Pickard Field for baseball, soccer, softball, and rugby; Lubin Family Squash Center for squash; LeRoy Greason Pool for swimming and diving; and Farley Field House for indoor track and field. Whittier Field is located on the east side of campus. Morrell Gymnasium is located at the center of campus. Brunswick Golf Course, Leighton Sailing Center, and Pineland Nordic Skiing Center are all located away from the main campus.
Tim Ryan has been the athletic director since 2013.[4]
The Athletic Department also supports three club sports: rowing, rugby, and ultimate Frisbee.
- ^ "Bowdoin College - Official Athletics Website".
- ^ "Color and Typography". Retrieved December 7, 2018.
- ^ Kay, Sela (November 1, 2019). "The Bowdoin polar bear: origins in a history of exploration". The Bowdoin Orient. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
- ^ "Tim Ryan - Ashmead White Director of Athletics - Staff Directory". Bowdoin College. Retrieved March 31, 2022.