(From Southwestern's website)
GEORGETOWN, Texas - After offering men's lacrosse
for 25 years as a club sport, Southwestern will become the first
university in Texas to offer it as a varsity sport. The University
plans to field its first team in the fall of 2009 and begin NCAA
competition in spring 2010.
"Lacrosse is one of the fastest-growing sports right now at the
high school and collegiate levels," said Glada Munt, director of
intercollegiate athletics at Southwestern. "This is a natural
transition for us and reflects the University's response to a
strong demonstrated student interest in the sport.
In recent years, Southwestern's men's lacrosse team has enjoyed
tremendous success as a club sport. It has won the Lone Star
Alliance Division II championship for the past four years and
advanced to the national tournament.
Men's lacrosse will become the 16th varsity sport
offered at Southwestern. The University is fielding its first
varsity women's softball team in spring 2009.
"We have been looking to grow our athletic program," Munt said.
"The average number of varsity teams for schools in our conference
is 20." She added that Southwestern is considering elevating
women's lacrosse to a varsity sport in three to five years.
Four other teams in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference,
which Southwestern plays in, currently have varsity men's lacrosse
teams - Colorado College, Hendrix College, Sewanee and Birmingham
Southern. In addition to competing against those teams, Munt said
Southwestern anticipates playing schools in the east such as
Denison, Kenyon College, the College of Wooster and Ohio Wesleyan.
The team may supplement its varsity schedule by continuing to play
club teams in Texas such as Austin College and Trinity
University.
Southwestern's home lacrosse matches will be played on the varsity
soccer field, pending modifications such as a new combined
soccer/lacrosse scoreboard that will allow the Athletic Department
to accommodate both sports.
Southwestern will begin a national search for a men's lacrosse
coach immediately and hopes to have one in place no later than
January 2009. In the meantime, Monty Curtis and Derrick Mueller
from the admission office will begin recruiting players for the
team.
"Without a doubt this will be a strong recruiting tool," said
Curtis, who coached the team from 1986 to 1995. In addition to
helping Southwestern attract out-of-state students, Curtis said it
should help keep some students in Texas who might otherwise go out
of state to play varsity lacrosse.
Munt said she expects the team will grow to 30-35 players within
the next two to three years.
Southwestern University is a selective, nationally recognized
undergraduate liberal arts college with an enrollment of 1,260
students. It is the oldest institution of higher learning in
Texas. For more information on Southwestern, visit www.southwestern.edu.
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