NEW YORK – Already a BIG EAST Conference affiliate member in men’s lacrosse, the University of Denver women’s lacrosse program will be added to the BIG EAST women’s lacrosse lineup starting in 2017. BIG EAST women’s lacrosse will be a 10-team league starting next season with the Pioneers joining Butler, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Florida Georgetown, Marquette, Temple, Vanderbilt and Villanova.
Butler announced in October it would add women’s lacrosse as its 20
th varsity sport, with play beginning in the 2016-17 season. The BIG EAST has had an eight-team women’s lacrosse league in each of the last two seasons and totaled nine programs 2010-13. The Conference has also sponsored lineups of six (2005-08) and seven teams (2001-04) previously.
“We’re excited to add Denver as a BIG EAST women’s lacrosse member,” said BIG EAST Associate Commissioner for Olympic Sports Chris Schneider. “We look forward to building upon our existing relationship with the Pioneers, whose men’s lacrosse program has had a proven history of success in our league over the last three seasons.”
The Pioneers are leaving the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, which they have been a member of since the 2004 season. During the 13 years in the MPSF, Denver won the regular season title six times, including in three straight seasons from 2006 to 2008. DU’s other MPSF regular season titles came in 2010, 2013 and 2014. The Pioneers have competed in the MPSF Tournament in every season and won the elusive championship in 2014, earning a bid to the NCAA Tournament for the second-straight season.
“I would like to thank the BIG EAST and commissioner Val Ackerman and Chris Schneider for making this incredible opportunity come true,” head coach Liza Kelly said. “Being welcomed into a highly competitive 10-team conference speaks to the hard work of our past Pioneers. The BIG EAST will give us the chance to boost our schedule and complete against universities that focus on the overall experience of the student-athlete.”
Denver men’s lacrosse, the 2015 NCAA Champions, has won the BIG EAST regular season and championship title since joining the league in 2014.
The BIG EAST has sponsored women’s lacrosse regular-season play since the 2001 season and a conference postseason championship since 2007. Six different teams have won the BIG EAST Championship crown and four different programs have won the regular-season title. In 15 years of BIG EAST women’s lacrosse, the league has earned multiple NCAA Championship berths on 12 occasions, while a BIG EAST squad has advanced to the national semifinals seven times.