College Adaptive Sports Programs

Athletes Roll was lucky to be introduced to adaptive sports partly through the work of Northeast Passage, based out of the University of New Hampshire. We believe it is so important to have access to adaptive sports and recreation while in college so we’ve begun to compile a list of college programs! As always, contact us if you need help looking for resources and let us know of any programs we should add to our list!

Adaptive Sports Resources

College Adaptive Sports Programs

Auburn University

San Diego, CA

“Our mission is to offer equal recreation and athletic opportunities to students, faculty, and staff with disabilities at Auburn University while promoting health, wellness, and disability awareness to all. To accomplish this mission the Office of Accessibility and the School of Kinesiology have collaborated to lead the adaptive sports movement here on campus.”

Wheelchair Basketball
Wheelchair Tennis
Accessible Weight Room
Handcycling

Eastern Washington University

Cheney, WA

“EWU Adaptive Athletics aligns with Eastern’s mission of personal transformation, creating immeasurable opportunity for students with disabilities to participate in organized sports at the collegiate level. Establishing the first collegiate National Wheelchair Basketball Association team in the Western region fulfills our first goal. Future opportunities to grow EWU Adaptive Athletics include track and field, sled hockey, snow skiing and more.”

Wheelchair Basketball
Wheelchair Tennis

San Diego State University – Aztec Adaptive Sports

San Diego, CA

“Aztec Adaptive Sports is an SDSU Recognized Student Organization (RSO). Our goal is to educate and introduce the SDSU community to adaptive sports. We have already help build the first ever collegiate level adaptive sports program on the west coast: the SDSU Adapted Athletics.
Join our student organization as we listen to Paralympic Athletes’ stories, participate in wheelchair basketball, sitting volleyball and track & field events, and volunteer at regional adaptive sports events. As a member, you can surround yourself with like-minded individuals who are passionate about providing competitive sports opportunities at SDSU for all athletes, as well as helping the surrounding San Diego community. Students of all ability are welcome in our student organization!”

Southwest Minnesota State University

Marshall, MN

SMSU Wheeling Mustangs compete in the National Wheelchair Basketball Intercollegiate Division. The Wheeling Mustangs started all the way back in 1969 and have won three NIWBT titles.

Wheelchair Basketball – SMSU Wheeling Mustangs

Texas A&M University – Aggie Adaptive Sports

College Station, TX

“Our purpose is to facilitate adaptive sports as a healthy form of recreation to students, veterans, and community members in an effort to promote the physical and mental benefits that adaptive sports possess. We strive to bring veterans and students, disabled and able-bodied, together in a safe arena that will promote a sense of community between individuals in a variety of circumstances with differing levels of ability.”

Aggie Adaptive Sports hosts events throughout the year and collaborates with many organizations in the area to promote adaptive sports in Texas.

University of Alabama – Alabama Adapted Athletics

Tuscaloosa, AL

“The wheelchair basketball and tennis teams at UA have won a combined five national titles, and more than 20 UA student-athletes and coaches participated in the 2012 Paralympic Games in London. The Adapted Athletics program now includes wheelchair basketball, wheelchair tennis, para-rowing, track and adapted golf. In addition, UA students with disabilities can participate in noncompetitive sporting options designed to improve the recreation experience on campus for all students.”

In 2018, the University of Alabama opened the Stran-Hardin Arena, a 10 million dollar facility dedicated solely to the Adapted Athletics program.

Men’s and Women’s Wheelchair Basketball
Wheelchair Tennis
Adaptive Rowing
Wheelchair Track

The University of Arizona – Adaptive Athletics Program

Tucson, AZ

“The largest and most successful collegiate-based program in the country, the University of Arizona Adaptive Athletics Program houses seven competitive teams as well as an adaptive fitness center. In its 44-year history, Adaptive Athletics has sent 38 athletes to the Paralympics and has won a number of national titles, making this program a leader in the adaptive and wheelchair sports community. With excellent disability and athletics resources, and weather that allows for competition and training year-round, the University of Arizona is home to a dynamic and vibrant wheelchair and adaptive sports community.”

University of New Hampshire – Northeast Passage

Durham, NH

“The mission of Northeast Passage is to empower people living with disabling conditions, both visible and invisible, to define, pursue and achieve whole life health, community engagement and fulfillment through the purposeful use of sports and recreation; to develop and promote best practices in the fields of Therapeutic Recreation and Adaptive Sports.
Northeast Passage does this by developing, delivering, and evaluating innovative barrier-free recreation and health promotion programs. Our guiding principles are promoting client independence through education and problem solving, creating opportunities, and collaborating with others to create a strong network of accessible recreation.”

Competitive Sports:

Recreational Sports:

Archery, Court Sports, Cycling, Golf, Paddlesports, Water Skiing, Winter Access

University of Texas Arlington Adapted Athletics

Arlington, TX

UT Arlington runs an adaptive recreation program, which brings together “students with disabilities from other college and university programs in the area, high school students with disabilities, able-bodied students who are studying disability sport and recreation programming, and people with disabilities in the community,” as well as the Movin’ Mavs, UTA’s men’s and women’s Wheelchair Basketball teams.

University of Wisconsin Whitewater Wheelchair Athletics

Whitewater, WI

“Our program includes a men’s and a women’s intercollegiate wheelchair basketball team competing at the highest level and featuring many current, past and future Paralympic athletes and coaches. We aim to provide opportunities to all by offering an Intramural Wheelchair Basketball and an Intramural Wheelchair Football program. In addition, we aim to provide opportunities to all by offering an Intramural Wheelchair Basketball and an Intramural Wheelchair Football program. Our facilities include a fully adapted weight room, many basketball chairs and hand-cycles, a multipurpose gym and much more provided by the university.”