Men’s Fitness magazine has given The Ohio State University (OSU), Columbus, OH, the top spot for 2011 in its annual Fittest Colleges in America list.
The magazine names the 25 fittest U.S. colleges, ranked according to a variety of criteria. Positive factors include having a high number of intramural athletic clubs, gyms, basketball courts and lap pools on campus, access to a nutritionist and the availability of calorie information on school menus. A high number of fast-food restaurants on campus and bars nearby bring a college’s score down.
OSU’s Recreation and Physical Activity Center was named an Outstanding Sports Facility in 2007 by the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA). The school also boasts a strong outdoor recreation program, plus a large number of other intramural activities and sports clubs, including CrossFit, fencing, skateboarding, martial arts and arm wrestling.
The colleges rounding out the top 10 (listed in descending order) are: University of California-Los Angeles; Michigan State University, East Lansing; Indiana University, Bloomington; University of Texas, Austin; Syracuse (NY) University; University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; University of Nebraska, Lincoln; and University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa.