BOSTON – Suffolk University Athletics is once again expanding. The University announced that it will add women's lacrosse to its growing intercollegiate line-up of NCAA Division III varsity programs, starting in fall 2025.
"We are excited to expand our intercollegiate athletic opportunities by adding women's lacrosse," said Suffolk University President Marisa Kelly. "Through Athletics, our student-athletes gain critically important leadership and collaboration skills, both on and off the playing fields. Athletics are also a source of pride for our students, alumni and our entire community."
"We are thankful for the continued philanthropic support from brothers Michael and Larry Smith," Kelly continued. "Their generous support has made the expansion of Suffolk athletics possible."
With the addition of women's lacrosse, Suffolk now offers a total of 20 intercollegiate programs – 9 men's teams, 11 women's teams – that compete at the Division III level. The newest team will compete in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC), with the first varsity season anticipated for 2025.
A national search for the program's first coach is currently underway. Additional coaches and athletics support staff will be added over the following year.
"As we envision the future of Suffolk Athletics, women's lacrosse is an incredible addition, as it increases opportunities for women in a college sport that is one of the fastest growing sports in the nation," said Suffolk Athletics Director Cary McConnell.
Currently the NCAA sponsors 293 women's lacrosse programs nationwide at the Division 3 level. That surpasses the number of lacrosse programs in both women's Division 1 and Division 2, as well as men's Division 3 by almost 50 members.
Suffolk University added five new sports in the 2016-17 season, expanding from 13 to 19 intercollegiate athletic programs, with the addition of women's golf, women's hockey, and men's and women's indoor track and field and men's and women's outdoor track and field.
In just seven years, the six newest Rams teams have combined for eight conference championships and three regional titles. Individually, four student-athletes have garnered the highest athletic achievement, All-America status, in their respective sports: Emily Manfra (indoor track & field), Matyas Csiki-Fejer (cross country and outdoor track & field) and women's hockey's Shana Cote and Madison Duff. Off the playing surface, Suffolk squads have excelled in the classroom as well with five Academic All-Americans in that same timespan.
"Building a program from scratch requires a tremendous amount of work, however, given the success of the programs we have added in the last 10 years, we believe that the women's lacrosse program will reap similar rewards and strengthen the future of Suffolk Athletics," McConnell said.
More details about the blue-and-gold's women's lacrosse program will be made public in the coming weeks and months on GoSuffolkRams.com, as well as the Athletic Department's Facebook, Instagram and Twitter social media channels.