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Recreation and Wellness

Building strength of body, mind, and character.

Stay Healthy and Have Fun on Campus

Physical well-being is integral to spiritual well-being and academic success. Joyful movement runs deep in our campus culture, and so does our commitment to whole-person health and wellness. At North Central University, you’re welcome to participate in intramural sports and take advantage of the many opportunities to be active on campus.

Join an Intramural Team

Intramural athletics are a favorite tradition, and many students play on one or more teams. It’s a great way to stay active, make new friends, and play a sport you love — or try something new!

Get in on the action in one of these sports:

  • Basketball
  • Flag Football
  • Futstal
  • Volleyball

If you don’t see your favorite sport on the list, let us know. We’ll do our best to make it happen! Contact Tyler Engle at tbengel@northcentral.edu to join a team or suggest other sport.

Fitness Center

Our fitness center features equipment for weight and cardiovascular training. It’s great all year, and especially for staying active indoors during the cold, Midwest winters. Equipment includes treadmills, free weights, and several strength training machines in a spacious, well-maintained facility. Workout alone or bring a buddy!

Hours: 6 a.m.-12 a.m. midnight

Elliot Park Field

Elliot Park Field opened in the fall of 2015 and is home for many of NCU’s recreation and wellness department intramural activities and the NCU men’s and women’s soccer programs.

The field was built in a unique partnership between NCU and the City of Minneapolis Parks and Recreation department. This partnership provided a full-sized, 11 vs.11, NCAA-regulation field to be built in the heart of downtown Minneapolis, in one of the oldest city parks in the department. Elliot Park Field is available for rental through the City of Minneapolis.

Staying Active in the Twin Cities

The NCU campus is in an area that offers many opportunities to stay active while you enjoy the great outdoors. In fact, Minneapolis and St. Paul are repeatedly ranked among the best cities for parks in the U.S., according to the Trust for Public Land.1

This Recreation and Wellness Guide will help you start enjoying everything the Twin Cities have to offer.

Short-term counseling (4-8 sessions) is available for free to all traditional students currently attending NCU. The Student Development office realizes that setting up an appointment in a close community can seem like an invasion of one’s privacy. Students can be assured that all services received through the Student Development office will be kept in strict confidence.

Common reasons to seek counseling services:

  • Addiction
  • Anxiety
  • Childhood abuse
  • Depression
  • Eating disorders
  • Grief
  • Relationship conflicts
  • Sexual abuse
  • Spiritual struggles

We also provide referrals to therapists off campus. If you anticipate wanting longer term counseling, we will meet with you to aid in this process. We have relationships with several therapists around the Twin Cities and are here to offer our recommendations and assistance to help you get the mental health support you need.

Citations

Sources: 1Trust For Public Land, Trust for Public Land Names Washington, DC, Best Big City Park System, Washington Defends ParkScore® Title, as Irvine Soars to Runner-Up Finish, on the internet at https://www.tpl.org/media-room/trust-for-public-land-names-washington-dc-best-big-city-park-system-washington-defends-parkscore-title-as-irvine-soars-to-runner-up-finish (viewed Nov. 2, 2025).