Det Insp Steve Tonks, of West Mercia Police, said Mr Cooke's "senseless" death had followed an agreement by two groups of men to meet up at the recreation ground "to sort out their differences".
"I want to begin by expressing our community's grief, our collective grief, over today's senseless and tragic death of a young member of the Hofstra family, " he said.
"I want to express our community's collective grief and our sorrow over the senseless and tragic death of a very young member of the Hofstra family, " university President Stuart Rabinowitz said.