Florida Tech to Add Men for 2012 Season
from press release
MELBOURNE, Fla. – On the heels of Florida Tech's
announcement that it intends to add a football program, University
President Anthony J. Catanese has announced that the face of
Panther Athletics will be changing once again. For the first time
since 2003, the athletic department will expand its list of varsity
sports with the addition of five more teams in the immediate
future.
"Florida Tech is committed to offering students a wide range of
athletic opportunities, which is why I am pleased to announce the
addition of men's and women's track and field, men's lacrosse, and
men's and women's swimming and diving to our slate of collegiate
varsity athletic programs," said President Catanese. "We are
excited to be entering this growth period and looking forward to
bringing the community on campus to be a part of it."
Beginning in the spring of 2011, Florida Tech will compete in both
men's and women's track and field, led by head cross country coach
Pete Mazzone. Initially, the athletic department will work with
local programs and facilities in the use of their sites for
practices and competition. With the addition, Tech becomes just the
fourth institution in the Sunshine State Conference to sponsor the
sport, joining Florida Southern College, Nova Southeastern
University and the University of Tampa.
"This will be an expansion of our cross country program into track
and field," said Florida Tech Athletic Director Bill Jurgens. "This
is something we've been talking about for the past few years. Now
that many Division II schools have started programs, it's a natural
progression for us to start this spring. It's a sport that we
anticipate athletes from other teams within our athletic program
would be interested in competing in as well. A great number of our
student-athletes have a track and field background, so this makes
perfect sense."
Also on the horizon for the Panthers is the installation of a men's
lacrosse program in 2011-12. The athletic department will start its
official search for a head coach immediately with the intent to
bring someone in to complete a year of recruiting before the first
official practice in fall 2011. Lacrosse is played as a spring
sport with the team beginning competition in February of 2012.
"We're excited about the opportunity to add men's lacrosse to the
athletics program at Florida Tech," stated Jurgens. "It is the
fastest growing NCAA sport and is creating some exciting
competitive opportunities among Division II schools. With the
addition of men's lacrosse, we anticipate that women's lacrosse
will not be too far behind as competition within the state
continues to develop. I look forward to hiring a coach in the very
near future who can build a strong, competitive men's lacrosse
program that will excel at the national level."
The SSC currently has three teams sponsoring men's lacrosse,
including Florida Southern, Rollins College and Saint Leo
University. League regulations stipulate that at least five schools
must offer a sport for the presidents to vote it in as a conference
sponsored sport.
Finally, with the design and construction of a new swimming
facility on campus in the works, Florida Tech will field men's and
women's swimming and diving teams in 2011-12. A nation-wide search
for a head coaching candidate will commence later this fall in
order to allow for a year of recruiting before competition begins
during the winter season of 2011-12.
The Panthers will be the sixth conference school to add the sport
as the SSC looks to host its inaugural swimming and diving
championships this winter. The other five schools hitting the pool
are Florida Southern, Rollins, Saint Leo, Tampa and Nova
Southeastern which begins its first year of competition this
year.
"The new competitive pool on campus will be a great asset to the
University and to those student-athletes desiring to compete at a
high level," Jurgens added. "We're excited about having a swimming
and diving program and a quality facility on campus. We will be
able to attract top swimmers across the country who are looking for
a strong academic program."
