By Anthony Covino
Sports Editor
Women’s lacrosse will be the 21st sport offered at FDU Metro, starting in spring 2023, FDU Athletics announced Tuesday.
FDU has added two new sports within the month — in the middle of a pandemic — after announcing last week that it was adding men’s volleyball starting in the fall.
FDU is the first NCAA Division I institution in the 2020-21 academic calendar year to introduce two new programs (via FDU Knights.com) while many other institutions are cutting sports as a result of the economic crunch brought on by the pandemic.
Women’s lacrosse will compete in the NEC as the league’s ninth member in women’s lacrosse, joining Bryant, Central Connecticut State University, LIU, Merrimack, Mount Saint Mary’s, Sacred Heart, Saint Francis University (PA) and Wagner. The Knights join 117 other universities competing in NCAA Division 1 women’s lacrosse.
“FDU is proud and excited to welcome women’s lacrosse,” President Capuano said. “The introduction of this great sport, on the heels of the addition of men’s volleyball, illustrates the strength and continued growth of our athletics program. An added benefit of these two new programs is their popularity within New Jersey and the possibility of keeping more New Jersey students close to home to study and compete,” Capuano added via FDUKnights.com.
It is uncertain at the moment how recruiting would work and where lacrosse would be played at FDU, but FDU will have time to plan before it begins in 2023.
Maryland is the reigning women’s lacrosse D1 champion, having won the tournament in 2019. Last year’s competition was cancelled due to COVID-19. Maryland has won 14 NCAA titles since competition began in 1982.
Fieldlevel.com, which tracks high school athletics, lists 40 women’s lacrosse teams in New Jersey.
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