Sewanee (TN) Adds Men's & Women's Varsity Lacrosse

[cjwilhelmi]

SEWANEE, Tenn. 4/21/06 - The University of the South has announced the addition of men's and women's varsity lacrosse for the 2007-2008 school year with the teams scheduled to play a spring schedule in 2008.

The addition of these two teams will give Sewanee 24 varsity sports; 13 women and 11 men.

At present, Sewanee has 22 varsity sports in baseball, basketball (m&w), cross-country (m&w), equestrian, field hockey, football, golf (m&w), soccer (m&w), softball, swimming and diving (m&w), tennis (m&w), indoor track and field (m&w), outdoor track and field (m&w) and volleyball.

Currently, men's and women's lacrosse are club sports at Sewanee.

"Lacrosse is certainly one of the fastest growing sports in the country and has become immensely popular on both the high school and the intercollegiate levels," said Sewanee athletics director Mark Webb. "I anticipate lacrosse will become a very popular spring sport at Sewanee for both participants and fans of the sport."

Webb plans to hire men's and women's coaches in the fall of this year, who will then work to recruit students to play for the inaugural varsity season in 2007-08.

The addition of the new sport to the varsity roster, has been under consideration for several years, has been supported by a cross section of the campus community, and earlier this month, received the endorsement of the University's executive staff.

This is the University's first varsity sport to be added in the new millennium. Fast pitch softball was added for the spring of 1999 and equestrian a decade ago in 1996.

First Varsity Sport: Sewanee's first varsity sport was baseball which played the University's inaugural collegiate contest June 29, 1875 in Tullahoma, Tenn., with a 24-9 triumph against the Lynchburg (Tenn.) Artics.

Sewanee is the second Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference member to announce the addition of varsity lacrosse in the last three months.

Hendrix College (Conway, Ark.) announced in February that men's lacrosse will start as a varsity sport in the spring of 2008.

The SCAC's newest member — Colorado College — also fields men's and women's lacrosse.

[OAKS]

Was Sewanee ever officially in the MDIA/old USLIA and SELC? I know they played some SELC teams back in the day, just not whether they were a part of the league.

[Alex White]

Tennessee regularly played Sewanee back in the early 80's. Their club feel apart around 85 and not much has been heard from them since.

[Brendan Barry]

Sewanee's first varsity sport was baseball which played the University's inaugural collegiate contest June 29, 1875 in Tullahoma, Tenn., with a 24-9 triumph against the Lynchburg (Tenn.) Artics.

Something tells me their first lacrosse game against Lynchburg won't be as successful.

[Sonny]

Was Sewanee ever officially in the MDIA/old USLIA and SELC? I know they played some SELC teams back in the day, just not whether they were a part of the league.

As I understand it, Sewanee was a founding member of the SELC back in 1987. But their team folded shortly after the SELC started. I don't even think they finished their first season in the conference. Although lots of rumors of their reorganization have floated around for the last 5 - 8 years, they have never been a part of the MDIA/old USLIA.

[Hugh Nunn]

Representatives from Sewannee also attended the league meeting in the Fall of 2001 but did not participate in the season. I don't recall if they were actually invited to join, or were just there testing the waters. Either way, best of luck to the fledgling program.