Lacrosse to Join ASUN Conference in 2018-19
5/16/2017 11:46:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
LAKEPOINT, Ga. – The ASUN Conference announced Kent State University as its newest affiliate member for women's lacrosse, expanding the league to seven teams beginning in the 2019 season. The Golden Flashes' program begins play in 2019 as a brand new Division I Women's Lacrosse program.
"We're honored to join a competitive lacrosse league in the ASUN Conference," said Kent State Director of Athletics Joel Nielsen. "The ASUN is a great fit for Kent State and we are glad to continue competing alongside a fellow MAC institution in Central Michigan. I would like to thank Commissioner Ted Gumbart and Associate Commissioner Mike Hagen of the ASUN, as well as our Deputy AD Janet Kittell and new head coach Brianne Tierney, for spearheading this partnership. Playing in a conference is a major advantage for any new program, we hope to continue this positive momentum towards a competitive year in 2018-19."
The Golden Flashes will begin ASUN play immediately in the 2019 season, bringing the ASUN's membership up to seven teams.
This announcement comes on the heels of Kent State's hiring of head coach Brianne Tierney as the Golden Flashes' first Women's Lacrosse Head Coach, a move that brings a wealth of experience to the program. She is the daughter of seven-time NCAA National Champion and current Denver men's lacrosse head coach Bill Tierney. Tierney will be building a program from the ground up for the second time in her career, having started the women's lacrosse program at Division III Lebanon Valley College previously.
"We are thrilled that in starting a brand new program at Kent State University we can do so as a member of the ASUN Conference," said Kent State head coach Brianne Tierney. "The relationships we will develop with our conference affiliates will help us attract quality student-athletes, build a competitive schedule and allow us to grow women's lacrosse in Northeast Ohio."
As part of Kent State's strategic vision, The Game Plan, Kent State announced the addition of women's lacrosse in the summer of 2016. The program brings Kent State's sport total to 19, including 11 women's programs. It marked the first addition of a varsity sport at Kent State since women's golf began competition in the 1998-99 academic year.
The ASUN Conference has been at the forefront of growth in Women's Lacrosse and has grown steadily since beginning play with five members for the 2012-13 academic year. Over the past several seasons, ASUN Women's Lacrosse has added eight affiliates with the latest announcement of Kent State.
The growth in the ASUN and in NCAA Division I Women's Lacrosse overall led to a new partnership with the Southern Conference, which will provide student-athletes two championship opportunities with both conferences sponsoring the sport beginning in 2018. Kent State becomes the latest affiliate to join this collaboration and will participate in the ASUN Conference alongside Jacksonville, Kennesaw State, Stetson, Coastal Carolina, Howard and Old Dominion.
The Southern Conference will consist of Furman, Mercer, Wofford, Central Michigan, Detroit Mercy and Delaware State, all former ASUN affiliate members in women's lacrosse. Under the arrangement, all ASUN affiliate members will continue to have access to a women's lacrosse championship, both conferences will be NCAA AQ eligible, and cross-over scheduling allows all teams to maintain a balanced home/away schedule coordinated to minimize missed class time and travel expense.
"We are thrilled to welcome Kent State University to the ASUN as an affiliate member," stated ASUN Commissioner Ted Gumbart. "The sport of women's lacrosse continues to be one of the fastest growing sports in the nation and Kent State is the latest example of that. The ASUN continues to be at the forefront in putting students first and providing championship opportunities for deserving student-athletes in women's lacrosse."
The ASUN Conference is coming off its most competitive season in league history as Coastal Carolina and Jacksonville shared the regular season title. The two sides then played a thrilling 11-10 Championship Final, which the Dolphins won to advance to the NCAA Tournament. The league currently sits in 10th in the RPI, which represents the highest ranking in league history. Four league teams finished with double-digit victories, while two other schools set new single-season win records.
