Since its inaugural season, Oberlin’s intramural cornhole league has brought students and staff together across many disciplines and levels of athleticism to participate in a very Midwestern activity. However, the league may not be able to run in its weekly form this year due to recruitment struggles.
Associate Director of Campus Recreation Sara Schoenhoft, who founded the cornhole league when she stepped into the position, says she chose cornhole in part for its significance to Ohio.
“I’m from Ohio, while most people here are not from Ohio,” Schoenhoft said. “And cornhole is a very Midwestern game — people play it all the time at tailgates and things like that. So I thought it would be very fun to bring to Oberlin, and I bought four cornhole boards.”
Treyce Wood, a College fourth-year, former football player, and current track runner, is the reigning cornhole champion. He claims that he has never lost a game of intramural cornhole, due in part to his long background of playing cornhole in the Ohio countryside where he grew up.
“With my friends, my conversation would be like: ‘We have nothing to do during the weekend. Do you guys want to go to Walmart, go to the movies, or stay inside and play some cornhole?’” Wood said. “All my friends had cornhole boards at their house. It was a very Midwestern thing, though it’s kind of spread all over recently.”
Unlike the Oberlin league, Wood said he played cornhole year-round. In the winter, he and his friends would set up their boards in the garage. If the league runs this year, he plans to play with one of his assistant coaches in track, who also played cornhole growing up nearby.
For Schoenhoft and Wood, cornhole has similar appeal to other intramural sports offered at Oberlin — without the time commitment. Other intramural sports available include basketball, softball, bowling, and pickleball. Unlike club and varsity sports, participants in intramural sports only play other Oberlin teams and do not have regular practice outside of game days.
Still, Schoenhoft and Wood agree that the cornhole league differentiates itself from the other intramural sports with its laidback nature and friendly competitiveness.
“You can’t beat it,” Schoenhoft said. “Sunday at 1 o’clock, you can sleep in, you can go get your brunch, … then come on down, play some cornhole, and go do your work for the rest of the day. That, to me, sounds like a dream. Who wouldn’t want to do that? Part of it, too, is we have some really good cornhole players like Treyce, and we also have people who can’t hit the board. You don’t have to be good to have fun.”
League play is scheduled to begin on Sunday, but if there aren’t enough teams committed to the league — eight, ideally — there will be a one-day tournament instead. The tournament includes 16 teams, and, in the past, a waitlist has started when those spots are full.
Still, Wood says if the league doesn’t run this year in his final semester at Oberlin, he will be “a little bit devastated.” He’s still hoping for one more commemorative mug — the prize given to league champions — to add to his collection of three.
Students, staff, and faculty are all invited to participate. Parties interested in the cornhole league, one-day tournament, or other intramural sports may contact Schoenhoft at [email protected].
