FOX Carolina 21Furman adds Div. I lacrosse teams

Furman University announced Thursday morning that it will add two new teams to its athletic department.

University President Rod Smolla said the school will add men's and women's Division I lacrosse teams.

Smolla said they were adding the lacrosse program because it is a sport that strengthens the school's academic and athletic profile and creates an opportunity to recruit students on many levels.

The new lacrosse program was made possible through an anonymous $5 million donation from a Furman alum, with a portion of the donation earmarked for the new program.

This addition gives the school a total of 20 varsity intercollegiate sports, made up of 10 women's programs and 10 men's programs. The school has been a member of the Southern Conference since 1936. 

The last time Furman added a new sport was during the 1994-95 school year with the addition of women's soccer.

Lacrosse athletes are known as successful athletes, including NCAA graduation success rates.

According to the NCAA figures released in May, women's lacrosse topped all 18 NCAA-sanctioned sports and men's lacrosse was the best among any men's sport offered in Division I. 

"Furman University is excited to field women's and men's lacrosse teams and join the fastest growing sport in the NCAA," said director of athletics Dr. Gary Clark. "Our goal is to hire women's and men's coaches in the next couple of months to begin the recruiting process necessary to field teams by the 2015 spring season."

Clark said the teams will be introduced as varsity sports beginning with the 2014-15 school year.

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