La Salle University to reinstate baseball program, add 4 new sports and band next year
La Salle University
PHILADELPHIA - La Salle University is bringing back its baseball program and adding four new sports starting next year, the school announced Wednesday.
Baseball was among seven sports the Philadelphia-based university cut in 2020, citing the COVID-19 pandemic and other financial challenges.
The school will add women's rugby, women's acrobatics and tumbling, and women's triathlon. They now boast nearly two dozen varsity programs.
"Through a careful analysis, the Department determined the conditions that led to eliminating varsity sports in 2020 have changed and that the timing is right to add select varsity sports, enhance our dance and cheerleader squads, and develop a band program," President Daniel J. Allen said.
The university isn't just making additions to its sports department, they will also add a school band and improve its cheerleading and dance squads. The school hopes these additions will "enhance the student experience on campus and the fan experience at athletic competitions."
La Salle anticipates that the new, improved and returning programs will lead to over 200 new students, starting with 40 students joining existing rosters during the Fall semester. The university says it will add another 160 students the following Fall, and 25 more when the programs reach full capacity in 2026.
The schools Athletic Department will spend the summer hiring coaches for the newly added programs, then immediately start student-athlete recruitment in hopes to be "competition eligible" for the 2025-2026 academic year.
To support the athletic department's expansion, the school says it will roll out a multi-phased plan to improve locker rooms and meeting spaces through fundraising. The first step, according to the university, will involve reclaiming unused space in McCarthy Stadium and then renovating player facilities at TruMark Arena beginning with upgrades for the basketball program.
"We are making decisions that best position the institution for success and growth," Allen said. "We believe that executing this strategy now puts the University and Athletic Department in a stronger position moving forward."