Le Moyne Women's Lax Headed Back to Division II
from press release
Following a comprehensive three-year review of Le Moyne
College's athletic division classification - which included broad
participation by the campus community, alums, students and
consultants - the institution's Board of Trustees has endorsed the
president's recommendation that the College continue as a
competitor at the Division II level.
"This decision represents a vision and strategy that will benefit
the College on many different levels," said Le Moyne President Fred
Pestello, Ph.D. "The process resulted in a better understanding of
athletics at Le Moyne, and will help us determine the appropriate
level of resources necessary to support a premier athletics program
that enhances all we do as an institution. I'm heartened by the
Board's endorsement, which will serve to strengthen our already
established position as a strong competitor at this level and
within the Northeast 10 Conference."
"The College has concluded that Division II is the best strategic
long-term position for our athletic department" said Matt Bassett,
assistant vice president and director of intercollegiate athletics
at the College. "I'm excited by this decision and the promise that
it holds to provide a clear focus for our coaches, athletes, and
alumni. Over the years we have distinguished ourselves athletically
while fully engaged in the Division II model, and this voice of
support for Division II underscores the dedication we all have for
life in the balance, and for making the student-athlete experience
here the best it can be."
Pestello said that in discussing this issue, Trustees voiced their
strong support for Le Moyne athletics and for embracing Division II
as the divisional classification that best fits Le Moyne's mission.
"This process was very much in line with OneLeMoyne, a campus-wide
dialogue that asks: 'What must Le Moyne become?' ," he said.
"It allowed all constituencies to take a step back and reflect on
how Le Moyne athletics can best align with our mission, key
priorities and what we strive to become in the future."
Currently, Le Moyne fields 17 NCAA sports (eight men and
nine women). All teams are members of the Northeast 10 Conference
(NE-10), with the exception of men's baseball and women's lacrosse,
which currently compete independently on the Division I level. Le
Moyne intends to seek an appropriate conference affiliation that
will allow it to stay at the Division I level in baseball. The
College will follow a defined NCAA process with the intent of
returning women's lacrosse to Division II and gaining acceptance in
the NE-10 Conference.
Program performance in recent years has been particularly strong,
as Le Moyne has captured three national titles, claimed several
conference titles and earned numerous NCAA Tournament berths, while
producing dozens of All-Conference and All-American performers. In
addition to success on the field, Le Moyne student athletes are
consistently high achievers in the classroom; since the 2003-04
academic year, Le Moyne student-athletes have had 13 consecutive
semesters with an average team cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
