SAC to Sponsor Four New Sports Starting in 2013-14

ROCK HILL, S.C. – Beginning in the 2013-14 academic year, the South Atlantic Conference will sponsor men's lacrosse, women's lacrosse, men's outdoor track and field, and women's outdoor track and field as championship sports.

The addition of the four new sports was officially voted on and approved by the SAC Presidents Council at the league's annual meeting last month. It will bring the number of SAC championship sports to 18.

"We're excited to add lacrosse and track in 2013-14," said Commissioner Patrick Britz. "In doing so, many more student-athletes will be given the unique opportunity of competing in the SAC.

"By officially becoming SAC championship sports, we believe these lacrosse and track programs will offer greater visibility to their respective campuses and the conference while continuing to enhance the overall student-athlete experience."

With the pending addition of Coker College and Queens University of Charlotte in July 2013 to the league's membership, lacrosse and track will meet the requirements for conference sport sponsorship, as outlined in article XV of the SAC Bylaws.

Lacrosse and track will be part of the SAC spring sports season. Dates and locations of the inaugural lacrosse and track SAC Championships will be determined in the coming months.

The SAC will also form ad-hoc committees this summer to discuss sport policies and scholarship maximums for the sports.

Men's lacrosse is currently played at Catawba, Coker, Lenoir-Rhyne, Mars Hill, Queens and Wingate, while women's lacrosse is sponsored at Catawba, Lenoir-Rhyne, Newberry and Queens.

Tusculum is poised to add both men's and women's lacrosse in advance of the 2013-14 season, while Wingate and Coker also plan to develop women's programs prior to it becoming a SAC sport.

Men's and women's track are currently sponsored sports at Anderson, Brevard, Carson-Newman, Lenoir-Rhyne, Mars Hill, Queens and Wingate.