ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) is adding men's and women's lacrosse as championship sports and announced the addition of Asbury University (Ky.) and University of the Cumberlands (Ky.) as affiliate members, AAC Commissioner John Sullivan announced.
"We are excited to add men's and women's lacrosse to our 15 sponsored sports," Sullivan said. "This has been a process that has taken several years to achieve, and we look forward to the sports' development into a championship sport at the NAIA level. As perhaps the most underserved collegiate sport in the nation, we look forward to continual growth of lacrosse across the NAIA."
The AAC is the second conference in the NAIA to sponsor men's and women's lacrosse, joining the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference. Men's and women's lacrosse are not championship sports in the NAIA currently, but more and more schools adding the sports leading to the possibility of them becoming one.
The AAC sponsors championships in fifteen other sports: cross country, soccer, basketball, outdoor track & field, golf, baseball, and tennis for men; cross country, soccer, volleyball, basketball, outdoor track & field, golf, softball, and tennis for women. The league recognized women's lacrosse in 2014-15, even holding a tournament. Six schools participated.
In 2015-16, there will be seven full-time members sponsoring women's lacrosse with five sponsoring men's lacrosse. Asbury and Cumberlands will sponsor both men's and women's lacrosse, giving the AAC nine women's lacrosse teams and seven men's teams.
"We are very pleased to add these two fine institutions to our membership in the sports of men's and women's lacrosse," Sullivan said of Asbury and Cumberlands joining the conference. "Their missions and values closely align with our existing members. With nine women's lacrosse teams and seven men's teams, we will lead the NAIA in this emerging sport."
Participating in women's lacrosse are Columbia College, Montreat College, Point University, Reinhardt University, St. Andrews University, Tennessee Wesleyan College and Truett-McConnell College along with Asbury and Cumberlands. The schools competing in men's lacrosse are Asbury, Cumberlands, Montreat, Point, Reinhardt, St. Andrews and Tennessee Wesleyan.
ABOUT ASBURY UNIVERSITY
Located in Wilmore, Ky., with an enrollment of 1,400, Asbury sponsors a total of 17 intercollegiate sports and is a full-time member of the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
Asbury sponsors men's and women's soccer, volleyball, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's golf, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's swimming, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's lacrosse, baseball and softball.
"We're excited for what it means to become a part of the AAC for the sport of lacrosse," said Mike Perdue, the Asbury Athletic Director. "Not only does it allow us to compete for a conference championship against other AAC institutions, but it's significant in that the NAIA is taking the steps to recognize the sport nationally. We're blessed to be part of and thank the AAC for inclusion in this groundbreaking process."
The Asbury men's lacrosse team finished its inaugural season 6-4 with an appearance in the Southeastern Lacrosse Conference (SELC) quarterfinals. Only eight of 22 teams made the playoffs in the conference. Finished 3-1 in divisional play in the conference to qualify as the two seed from the Northwest Region. Josh Stewart is the Eagles' head coach.
Rich Manieri is the head coach of Asbury's women's lacrosse team, which went 3-7 in its first season. The Eagles competed in the National Women's Lacrosse League (NWLL) and lost to Oklahoma Baptist University in the conference tournament.
ABOUT UNIVERSITY OF THE CUMBERLANDS
Cumberlands is located in Williamsburg, Ky., with an enrollment of nearly 6,000. Cumberlands sponsors a total of 28 intercollegiate sports and is a competing member in the Mid-South Conference.
The sports Cumberlands sponsor are men's and women's archery, baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's bowling, men's and women's cross country, football, men's and women's golf, men's and women's lacrosse, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's swimming & diving, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's track & field, men's and women's wrestling, softball, volleyball, co-ed cheerleading, and co-ed dance.
"We are excited to be joining the AAC for men's & women's lacrosse," said Randy Vernon, Cumberlands' Athletic Director. "The AAC is a quality league with great leadership and the perfect fit for both our lacrosse programs. We will also benefit from scheduling, competing for conference championships, and give our student-athletes an opportunity for individual honors. I want to thank the AAC Presidents, Athletic Directors and to Commissioner John Sullivan for allowing us to be a part of this great conference."
Cumberlands added men's and women's lacrosse in 2015, but 2016 will be the inaugural season for both programs. Pete Campbell is the Patriots head coach, while Rob Brooks will coach the Patriot women's team.
ABOUT THE APPALACHIAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
The Appalachian Athletic Conference evolved from the Volunteer State Athletic Conference (VSAC), an NAIA conference organized in the 1940s and dissolved in the early 1980s when institutions in the eastern part of the state seceded to form the Tennessee Virginia Athletic Conference (TVAC). The Conference's name changed to the Appalachian Athletic Conference in 2001. The AAC has 12 members in six southeastern states: Bluefield College (Va.), Bryan College (Tenn.), Columbia College (S.C.), Milligan College (Tenn.), Montreat College (N.C.), Point University (Ga.), Reinhardt University (Ga.), SCAD Atlanta (Ga.), St. Andrews University (N.C.), Tennessee Wesleyan College, Truett-McConnell College (Ga.), and Union College (Ky.).
Courtesy of AAC
