Elmira, NY -- President Ron Champagne announced that the Elmira College Board of Trustees recently approved a plan to add women’s cross country and baseball as intercollegiate sports in 2014-15. The teams will compete in the Empire 8. The Soaring Eagles now will sponsor 12 varsity programs for women and eight for men.
“We are eager to welcome two new sports that will enhance our varsity sport opportunities and attract new students that want to continue participation at the college level. It is an exciting new undertaking,” said Vice President of Athletics Pat Thompson.
In 1981-82 142 Division III institutions sponsored women’s cross country. By 2011-12 that number jumped to 408.
Women’s cross country will not only attract new students but continue the College’s practice of increasing participation opportunities for women. Since 1999 four Soaring Eagles women’s varsity teams have been added: lacrosse, field hockey, ice hockey and golf. Women’s cross country will have its premier season in the fall of 2014.
Like women’s cross country, college baseball has grown in popularity. In 1981-82, the NCAA recorded 284 institutions that sponsored baseball at the Division III level. In 2011-12 that number grew to 442.
The Elmira community has had a long history of hosting major league affiliated professional baseball teams. The community still supports baseball with the Perfect Game Collegiate League during the summer months.
Adding baseball seemed like a good fit not only for the College, by increasing sports participation options for men, but for the baseball patrons in the community as well. The inaugural season will open in the spring of 2015.
This will be the second new men's sport added in recent years - volleyball debuted in 2011.