ýƵ announced the addition of two new athletics programs – women’s and men’s lacrosse.Anational search for full-time head coachesis underwaywith the first season ofcompetitiveplayscheduled for Spring 2025.
The addition of lacrosse followsthe university’sstrategic plan to align ýƵ’s athletics program withadditionalopportunities for student-athletes, according toJasonImperati, ýƵ’sdirector of athletics.ýƵ joins a growing list of NCAA Division III institutions to offer lacrosse as an intercollegiate sport. More than 200 Division III schools around the nation sponsor intercollegiate lacrosse, including eight schools in Wisconsin. Men's lacrosse has 245 programs at the Division III level, and there are 288 women's teams competing in Division III.
"The ever-growing popularityof lacrosse across the nation, particularly in the Midwest, extendsopportunities for student-athletes who are looking to continue their playing careers while pursuing a qualitydegree at a leading liberal arts university,”Imperatisaid. “While we have tremendous work ahead, we are excited for the future of both programs and what they will mean for the ýƵexperience and our greater community.”
“Bringing lacrosse to our university and region speaks to our commitment to our current and future student-athletesand we look forward to welcoming our coaches and these students to our campus,” saidýƵ President Laurie A. Carter.“I am proud of the hard workleading to the addition of theseprograms to our NCAAlineup of sports.”
The universityalready has a playing facilityfor both programs with Ron Roberts Field at the Banta Bowl.Renovationsto the Banta Bowl footprint in2015made itpossible to play lacrosse in the stadium. The iconic and picturesque Banta Bowl has been home to ýƵ football since 1965 and ýƵ men's and women's soccer since 2015.
More about lacrosse at ýƵ
ýƵ becomes the fifth school in the Midwest Conference to sponsor lacrosse, joining Beloit College, Cornell College, Lake Forest College, and Monmouth College.
ýƵ is searching for a conference for the lacrosse programs, according toImperati. The two most prominent leagues in the upper Midwest are the Midwest Lacrosse Conference (MLC) and its affiliated Midwest Women's Lacrosse Conference and the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC), which sponsors both men's and women's lacrosse. Among Midwest Conference schools, Cornell, Lake Forest and Monmouth are in the MLC, and Beloit is a member of theNACC.
The addition of men's and women's lacrosse brings ýƵ's roster of teams to 24. The most recent addition to the intercollegiate sports program at ýƵ was women's hockey, which started play in the 2020-21 academic year in the NorthernCollegiate Hockey Association.
Intercollegiate athletics at ýƵ date back to the 1880s with football establishing itself in 1893 and basketball following in 1896. ýƵ is a charter member of the Midwest Conference (1921),and its affiliations also include the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association and the Central Collegiate Fencing Conference.
