BOSTON, Mass. – University of Massachusetts Boston Chancellor Marcelo Suárez-Orozco and Vice Chancellor of Athletics and Recreation Dr. Jacqueline Schuman are proud to announce that the University will be adding women's lacrosse to its line-up of NCAA Division III varsity programs.
 
"We are thrilled to be adding a women's lacrosse program as this has been a priority for UMass Boston," stated Chancellor Suárez-Orozco. "And our timing could not be better – while we add another women's program to our successful athletics department, we continue to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of the passage of Title IX."
 
With the addition of women's lacrosse, UMass Boston now offers a total of 19 intercollegiate programs that compete at the Division III level. The team will compete in the Little East Conference, with the first varsity season set for 2024.
 
A national search for the program's first coach will be underway in the coming weeks.
 
"As we envision the future of our Athletics and Recreation program at UMass Boston, 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 Vice Chancellor of Athletics and Recreation Schuman. "Given the great success we have had with our men's lacrosse program, we believe that the addition of the women's program will reap similar rewards and strengthen the future success of both programs.  While there is great work to be done to build a new program, the goal is that as the only public research institution in the city of Boston, we will attract talent that will grow our program to be one of the best in the nation."
 
Currently the NCAA sponsors 291 women's lacrosse program nation-wide at the D3 level. It currently stands as the largest women's lacrosse division, and the largest lacrosse division surpassing the men's Division III programs by 44 members.
 
The last time UMass Boston started a new intercollegiate program was in 2003-04 when it added women's ice hockey.
 
More information about the women's lacrosse program will be made available in the coming months at www.beaconsathletics.com.