“It has been a tremendous pleasure to witness how dedicated our student athletes are, not only to their sport and studies, but to the entire URI community,” University President Marc Parlange said. “I look forward to welcoming women’s lacrosse to the University. It is a growing sport on campuses across the country, and I am proud that we are adding this important program to our NCAA lineup.”
Rhode Island currently offers women’s varsity programs in basketball, cross country, rowing, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, indoor and outdoor track & field, and volleyball.
On the men’s side, Rhode Island has baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, and indoor and outdoor track & field.
“With the addition of women’s lacrosse, Rhode Island will be comfortably in compliance with all standards set forth by the NCAA and Title IX,” Bjorn said. “As the profile of the University continues to shift, we had areas that needed to be addressed. With proper planning and the support of President Parlange, we worked to ensure we remain compliant moving forward through the creation of more opportunities for female student-athletes.”
While Rhode Island is not expected to compete in lacrosse for the first time until the spring of 2025, Bjorn expects to hire the program’s first head coach this summer. Additional coaches and athletics support staff will be added over the following two years.
Full details about the program’s rollout will be made public in the coming months.