Lander University will add men's and women's lacrosse to its NCAA Division II varsity sports offerings, athletics director Brian Reese announced Tuesday. Both teams will begin competition in the spring of 2020.
"Lacrosse is an exciting sport that is loved by both fans and participants, and a natural fit for Lander as it grows in this region of the country," said Reese. "The addition of lacrosse will not only be beneficial to our athletic department, but to our university as a whole. We are confident we can build programs that compete successfully at both the conference and national level."
By adding one of the nation's fastest growing sports at all levels, Lander is set to become just the fifth university in South Carolina to offer NCAA Division II men's lacrosse and the eighth to sponsor Division II women's lacrosse.
A national search will be conducted to find a head coach for each program. Lander plans to hire head coaches by July 1 to allow the respective coaching staffs to recruit student-athletes for the first season in 2019-20.
Lander has claimed 52 Peach Belt Conference team championships by seven different sports and eight NCAA national championships. The Bearcats have participated in 66 NCAA Tournaments since joining the Division II ranks in 1992.