Game On: Sports Across NYU’s Global Network

World-Class Facilities at NYU Abu Dhabi

As one of NYU’s three degree-granting campuses, NYU Abu Dhabi makes it easy to maintain an active lifestyle. The campus offers more than 40 credit-bearing Physical and Health Education classes, including fencing, ballet, sailing, scuba diving, and golf. You can also join an intramural sports team. It’s a great way to move your body and meet friends simultaneously.

In addition to group fitness classes like yoga, Zumba, boxing, and indoor cycling, NYU Abu Dhabi’s modern athletics facility provides extensive amenities. Here, you can swim in the competition pool, work out in the performance gymnasium, run on the indoor or outdoor track, play a few rounds on the squash or tennis courts, or practice in the dance studio.

Team Spirit on a Global Stage at NYU Shanghai

Students at NYU Shanghai, NYU’s third degree-granting campuses, come together as proud Qilins to play tennis, badminton, volleyball, soccer, basketball, and ping-pong in state-of-the-art athletic facilities. From friendly matches at open gyms to varsity-level competitions, students of all athletic abilities join in. “Our athletic facilities are home to our intercollegiate sports teams as well as any student looking to maintain a healthy, balanced lifestyle,” says recent Global China Studies graduate Cathy Li.

Beyond regular athletic competitions, students from universities across Southern China gather at NYU Shanghai to compete in the Qilin Cup each year. This joyful, high-energy event includes a mix of friendly and competitive matches. It offers students a unique chance to build intercultural connections rooted in a shared love of sports.

Sports, Service, and Community at NYU Florence

Opportunities to get moving abound at NYU Florence. The academic center encourages you to start your own sports-related clubs, providing a small budget for snacks, water, and even sporting event tickets. Past clubs have focused on tennis, soccer, volleyball, basketball, running, and ping-pong. To help students unwind and focus, the site also hosts weekly yoga classes.

NYU Florence’s beautiful campus is home to a multisport field available during daylight hours, as well as outdoor and indoor gyms and a running path. Both off-campus residence halls also feature gyms for student use.

What’s more, site staff provide ways to get involved with the local community through sports. For example, each semester NYU Florence collaborates with city hall and local sports associations to offer free weekly pickleball and badminton lessons to children from a nearby elementary school. The lessons take place in Piazza dell’Indipendenza, the square where two of NYU Florence’s off-campus residence halls are located. Additionally, students can take part in friendly soccer matches with a neighborhood team.

Explore the City Through Movement at NYU Berlin

NYU Berliners have access to all the sports facilities at Humboldt University, NYU Berlin’s partner university. This includes their gym as well as their courses, which range from tennis to sailing to badminton. If you want to guarantee that a court will be available, just reserve a spot in advance. While you do have to pay a small fee to access Humboldt’s facilities, there are plenty of affordable options.

On campus, academic center staff organize Berlin Moves, a semester-long series featuring activities like bouldering, a 5K race, ice skating, urban hiking, bowling, and kayaking. For each activity you participate in, you add a stamp to your Berlin Moves card. Collecting three or more stamps enters you into a raffle for a smartwatch at the end of the semester.​

Try Hundreds of Student Clubs at NYU London

As a student at NYU London, you receive associate membership at the London School of Economics Students’ Union, which gives you access to more than 250 student societies and over 45 sports clubs. Options range from competitive teams to casual social groups, with dozens of sports including archery, baseball, cycling, pickleball, lacrosse, and soccer. Joining one (or more!) of these clubs is a great way to meet local students and build community in your new city. And while NYU London doesn’t have its own athletic facilities, students are welcome to use those at the London School of Economics or explore the many public gyms in the area.