General | 11/14/2022 9:00:00 AM
MIAMI SHORES, Fla. — One of the most successful NCAA Division II athletic programs in the nation will be a bigger player on the regional and national scene in 2023-24, as Barry University has announced the addition of five new programs in, men's and women's swimming, beach volleyball, and men's and women's cross country.
The additions bring the total number of sports at Barry to 18, from its present number of 13. All five programs will compete in NCAA Division II and the Sunshine State Conference.
"Winning starts here at Barry University in the fields of competition and in the classroom," Barry President Mike Allen said. "These five expansion sports will allow us to recruit more scholar athletes, who will excel in their studies and in the community, while continuing the Barry tradition of competing for national championships."
Swimming will mark a new foray for the Bucs. As the Bucs dive into the pool, they join 75 other men's programs and 103 other women's programs in Division II. The Bucs become the seventh men's program and eighth women's program in the SSC.
Beach volleyball is one of the newer NCAA-sponsored sports with 82 teams across all three divisions. Barry becomes the sixth school to sponsor beach volleyball in the SSC, along with Eckerd, Florida Southern, Palm Beach Atlantic, Saint Leo and Tampa.
The cross country programs return after being discontinued in 1992. The men's team won the Sunshine State Conference title in 1988, led by All-American and conference champ Brooks Petty. Lenny McDonald was the individual champ in 1991. The women's team won the crown in 1989, while Diane Daley was the individual champ in 1992. Across Division II, there are 268 other men's programs and 292 other women's programs as of December 2021. The addition of the Buccaneers brings the SSC to eight sponsored teams for both men and women.
"Our commitment to our student-first philosophy ensures that we fulfill the University mission to help our student-athletes reach their full potential, in the sports they love as well as their academic career," Director of Athletics Michael L. Covone said. "Our student-athletes maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better, graduate, and compete at the highest levels of NCAA Division II."
"It's exciting to see our athletic program expand and offer new opportunities for aspiring student athletes to pursue their educational and professional goals at Barry University while striving for excellence in these sports," Barry Vice President For Mission and Student Engagement Dr. Scott Smith said. "I look forward to watching the programs grow as our new student athletes make significant contributions to the BarryU student experience."
Barry has been one of the most successful programs in the Sunshine State Conference, the "Conference of National Champions," since it joined the league in 1988. The Buccaneers have captured 26 national championships and crowned 419 All-Americans. With men's soccer winning the 2022 regular season championship, the Bucs have won 100 Sunshine State Conference championships.
In addition to the athletic accomplishments, the Buccaneers have also excelled in the classroom and in the community. The Bucs have had 591 scholar and Academic All-Americans over the years and have captured many major academic awards, including 10 NCAA Woman of the Year finalists, the most in the division and second-most across all divisions. Barry has had 15 Sunshine State Conference Scholar-Athletes of the Year, nine on the women's side and six on the men's. Both numbers are conference records. And for the last eight years, the Bucs have produced an Academic Success Rate of over 90%, earning the NCAA President's Award each year.
A national search will begin immediately to hire head coaches, who will then recruit student-athletes and develop each program for competition starting in the fall of 2023. Applications for the head coach positions must be submitted on-line at Barry University Career Opportunities.
