The University of Alabama in Huntsville Department of Athletics announced the addition of men’s and women’s lacrosse programs on Monday, and the teams will begin competition in the spring of 2016. The teams will compete at the NCAA Division II level, increasing UAH’s number of varsity sports to 18.
“Increasing opportunities for young people is always very gratifying,” said UAH Director of Athletics Dr. E. J. Brophy. “We look forward to having our first UAH lacrosse student-athletes on campus next fall to compete for, and earn degrees from, one of the finest institutions in the country.”
The Chargers will compete at Charger Park, an immaculate on-campus facility that also houses the University’s men’s and women’s soccer programs along with baseball and softball. UAH will join the current 57 Division II institutions that sponsor men’s lacrosse and 85 schools that have women’s lacrosse.
UAH joins fellow Gulf South Conference member Shorter as an institution that sponsors the sport, and the Chargers will compete as an independent for now as do the Hawks. Numerous schools in the nearby Sunshine State Conference and South Atlantic Conference also have lacrosse programs.
A nationwide search for the programs’ head coaches will begin shortly.
