JU to field lacrosse teams in 2009

Starting in the 2009-2010 school year, Jacksonville University will become the only Division I school in the state to offer a men's lacrosse program and the second to have a women's lacrosse program.

The addition of a sport gaining popularity in the Southeast will bring the school's varsity athletic teams to 20. The new program is expected to bring 80 to 100 students who wouldn't normally wouldn't consider JU, said university spokesman Joel Lamp. That means more revenue because the school doesn't offer athletic scholarships, only scholastic scholarships. JU officials expect the teams will generate an additional $200,000 in revenue annually.

"We believe that this will generate interest in our institution and help bring awareness of JU to a wider audience," JU president Kerry Romesburg said in a news release.

Content Continues Below

Because the Atlantic Sun Conference doesn't offer a men's or women's lacrosse championship, the university will seek membership in a league based on the East Coast. University of Florida is the only other school in the state to offer a women's lacrosse program. In the United States, there are 55 schools with men's lacrosse programs, and there are 84 that offer women's programs, with 75 of them in the southern or eastern part of the country.