ATLANTA Ga. - The ASUN Conference proudly announces the formation of ASUN Men's Lacrosse. This is the second time in nine years that the ASUN has built a new Men's Lacrosse conference. The partnership with the Southern Conference continues as the ASUN again builds opportunities for student-athletes.
The ASUN first built a Men's Lacrosse conference in Fall 2012 when it announced ASUN Men's Lacrosse with a founding membership of Furman, High Point, Jacksonville, Mercer, Richmond, and VMI. That group began play in the 2013-14 season and the Richmond Spiders earned an automatic bid into the NCAA Championship. Today, the ASUN announces a new group of six that includes Air Force, Bellarmine, Cleveland State, Detroit Mercy, Robert Morris, and Utah.
"The primary goal of our lacrosse partnership with the Southern Conference is to maximize opportunity," ASUN Commissioner Ted Gumbart said. "Our first responsibility is the highest level of service to our full member institutions; when partnerships offer increased opportunity for all, that meets our primary ASUN BEAM of Students First."
The historic step writes a new chapter in the ASUN/SoCon Lacrosse partnership. First announced in January 2014, the Southern Conference and the ASUN Conference have collaborated on providing maximum opportunities for lacrosse programs to find a conference home, a conference schedule, conference honors, and a conference championship - with access to an NCAA Automatic Bid - through the ASUN/SoCon partnership.
The ASUN Conference prides itself on innovation, opportunity and collaboration. By building its second men's lacrosse conference in nine years, the ASUN enhances its national reputation for bold steps that benefit student-athletes. The Southern Conference will retain its men's lacrosse championship and NCAA AQ status by playing with a realigned group of six: Hampton, High Point, Jacksonville, Mercer, Richmond, and VMI.
"I love the national aspect that this alignment provides," Bellarmine Head Coach Andrew Whitley said. "Our student-athletes will get to travel and compete in Florida, Utah and Colorado, amongst many others. The level of commitment this display allows each member institution as well as the ASUN to be visible and recognized on a national stage. This is a great partnership for the ASUN, its student-athletes, and college lacrosse as a whole.
ASUN Conference, Atlanta, Ga. - the only DI conference headquartered in the ATL, our footprint's primary media, sports, business, transportation and cultural hub
The ASUN, a Division I conference member of the NCAA, boasts a membership of institutions that share visionary leadership, bold ambition and creative innovation. As a nimble adaptive conference, unafraid to blaze a national pathway for better service to our student-athletes, teams, and institutions, the ASUN has a proud history of firsts, national academic and athletic achievements and a conference culture that walks the walk with its four ASUN Beams. Students First! Rise. Connect. Impact. #ASUNBuilt by Bellarmine (Louisville), Central Arkansas (Conway), Eastern Kentucky (Richmond), FGCU (Fort Myers), Jacksonville (Fla.), Jacksonville State (Jacksonville, Ala.), Kennesaw State (Ga.), Liberty (Lynchburg, Va.), Lipscomb (Nashville), North Alabama (Florence), North Florida (Jacksonville, Fla.), and Stetson (DeLand, Fla.).
