Clemson to add women’s lacrosse, women’s gymnastics
CLEMSON, S.C. - Clemson University will add women’s lacrosse and women’s gymnastics as varsity programs in the next two years, Director of Athletics Dan Radakovich announced on Thursday, live on Packer and Durham on ACC Network. Lacrosse is projected to begin competition in 2022-23, with gymnastics beginning competition in the 2023-24 academic year.
“We are thrilled to be able to add these two high-profile women's sports and expand opportunities for female student-athletes,” said Radakovich. “Over the past six weeks, we’ve heard from many representatives of various potential sports, and spent a great deal of time examining several possibilities and ultimately evaluating which sports would be best for Clemson Athletics. The combination of women’s lacrosse and gymnastics gives us the ability to compete for ACC and NCAA Division I Championships, and we know our community will embrace these new programs. We are grateful to the University for their partnership which will enable us to bring these new opportunities to Clemson.”
The Department of Athletics has successfully added women’s golf and softball in recent years, while the University has also seen consistent growth in its female student population.
More than 100 schools sponsor NCAA Division I women’s lacrosse programs, one of the fastest-growing sports in the nation. The ACC is renowned for its women’s lacrosse programs, and an ACC program has advanced to the national title match in each of the past nine tournaments and currently claims the reigning national champions. The program aims to begin competition in the spring of 2023 and will call Historic Riggs Field home.
There are more than 60 NCAA Division I women’s gymnastics teams competing nationwide with three schools in the ACC currently sponsoring women’s gymnastics. With the addition of Clemson, the ACC has announced that women’s gymnastics will become the league’s 28th sponsored sport. In addition, eight SEC programs sponsor women’s gymnastics, providing Clemson with elite regional competition. Littlejohn Coliseum will be the competitive home for the program, expected to begin in January of 2024.
