University of Dallas to End Lacrosse Programs May 1

IRVING, Texas (April 4, 2022) - The University of Dallas will discontinue the men's and women's lacrosse programs May 1 at the conclusion of the women's regular season.

"About 20% of our students are student-athletes, and we remain committed to providing a liberal arts education that embraces the formation of students – intellectually, spiritually and physically – through our other athletic program offerings," said Executive Vice President John Plotts, who oversees the university's Athletics programs.

The lacrosse programs competed through memberships in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference for the women's program and the Heartland Collegiate Lacrosse Conference for the men's, but in recent years, both teams have had difficulty fielding the required number of players for an entire season, noted Athletics Director Jarred Samples. 

"The men's season this year was canceled due to injuries, and while the women's season continues, it's been challenging to recruit players," Samples said.

"The university has made this decision carefully, and we are grateful to all of the coaches, players and alumni of the program," Plotts said. "The challenges lacrosse has undergone over the years required us to consider what would be in the long-term best interests of our Athletics program overall. We will continue to look at how we can expand sports in other ways to open opportunities for student recruitment while balancing operational costs in order to provide a positive overall experience for all of our student-athletes."

The University of Dallas maintains 13 men's and women's NCAA Division III level teams in basketball, baseball, softball, soccer, cross country, golf, track and field, and women's volleyball as part of the SCAC.