Why More Student-Athletes Are Choosing York University

For student-athletes, moving provinces for university can feel like a gamble; it entails getting to know a new city and developing new routines. The decision to move east and join York University for Chase Sandhu and Keeton Oakley was about finding a place where they could compete at a high level while continuing to build toward their careers.

“As a junior hockey player, I wanted to compete at the next level, at the U Sports level,” says Sandhu, now in his second year of a Bachelor of Commerce in finance. “In speaking with our head coach, I thought York University would work well, both for my athletics and my academics.”

Oakley, a third-year commerce student specializing in accounting, also came to York after playing junior hockey in British Columbia. He says the combination of reputation and opportunity stood out.

“What drew me to York U, being from out of province as a mature student, was definitely the recognition of the school,” he says. “It’s an academically strong school and the athletics and student life are strong as well.”

An opportunity to grow

Moving from British Columbia to Toronto was a significant shift. Both players admit to initial concerns about being far from home. “Some concerns I had included being so far away from home,” Oakley says. “But I think as a student athlete, it definitely helps. You have your teammates to kind of rely on.”

The city itself has expanded their perspectives beyond the rink. “Studying in Toronto has broadened my perspective immensely,” Sandhu says. During the summer, he interned at Maxit Capital on Bay Street. “You realize how big the city is, the number of connections that you have access to.”

Oakley echoes that sentiment. “There’s tons of opportunities there for different jobs, different networking events, different opportunities to kind of make your university experience more useful,” he says.

Making the transfer work

For both players, one of the biggest questions was whether the transition would be straightforward, especially academically.

Sandhu describes the credit transfer process as clear and organized. “It was relatively straightforward,” he says. “I submitted my transcripts to them and within a short period of time, they provided me with a transfer credit statement that showed me exactly what credits are accepted and what isn’t…I was lucky enough that all three of my classes were accepted, and I get to use those credits now moving forward,” he says.

Oakley, who applied as a mature student after taking time to play junior hockey, recalls having to complete additional steps in the application process, including an essay. Even so, he felt supported.

Balancing hockey and academics

Continuing to compete was non-negotiable for both athletes. “It was extremely important for me to continue to pursue hockey at a high level while completing my degree at a nationally recognized university,” Sandhu says.

York’s athletics program—one of the largest in Canada—is structured to support that balance. Academic support tailored to student-athletes relieve the pressure during competitive seasons.

"Being a student-athlete at the University level, regardless of sport, is a massive undertaking and it is imperative for our program that the players we recruit are willing to take that on. We have been lucky in my time at York that our players take enormous pride in their investment in their academics; they show the commitment to be their best version in the classroom as students and that they are not just here to be athletes,” says head coach of men’s hockey, Russ Herrington.

“York academically supports athletes very well,” Sandhu says, pointing to initiatives such as the PAWS Program (Providing Athletes with Winning Strategies) for first-year student-athletes. “It helped me ease into the busy life of being a student athlete.”

Oakley now mentors’ other athletes through that same program. “I’m actually a mentor in it now, so I’m kind of in the reverse role to help different first-year athletes,” he says. “That was a big help.”

Team culture also plays a critical role in their success. “We have a big focus on academics as well as athletics,” Oakley says. Sandhu notes that the men’s hockey program has consistently maintained one of the highest GPAs among York’s men’s varsity teams and remains at the very top of the rankings across all athletics, alongside the women’s hockey team. “I think that kind of speaks to our character, both on and off the ice.”

Transferring universities will always require adjustment. But for these two York Lions, the move meant finding a university where athletics and academics could advance together on a bigger stage.

Click here to learn more about transferring to York University.
Click here to learn more about York’s athletics program.