University of Richmond Athletics
Photo by: Greg Carroccio
Men’s Lacrosse Moves To Atlantic 10 Conference For 2023
05/23/2022 | Men's Lacrosse
RICHMOND, Va. – The University of Richmond men's lacrosse program will have a new home in 2023 as the Atlantic 10 Conference announced it will now sponsor men's lacrosse. The move solidifies the future for Richmond men's lacrosse as the A10 will immediately have an automatic qualifier into the NCAA tournament. Richmond will now have 15 of its 17 sport programs competing in the A10.
"The Southern Conference has been a great home for the Spiders since 2015, but we are excited about the addition of men's lacrosse to the Atlantic 10," Vice President and Director of Athletics John P. Hardt said. "This is the natural evolution for our men's lacrosse program. Since its inception in 2014, our men's lacrosse program has been the benchmark for new programs, advancing to its fourth NCAA Tournament in eight years this season. This new conference will continue our growth in the sport and we look forward to our program's rise on the national scale."
Richmond will be joined in the Atlantic 10 by full members Saint Joseph's, Massachusetts and St. Bonaventure. Two affiliate members, High Point and Hobart, will also compete in the A-10. The conference will begin play in the 2023 season.
Richmond started its men's lacrosse program in 2014 and has since built one of the top programs in the country. The Spiders have been in eight-straight conference championship games since inception, the only program in the country that has accomplished that feat. Richmond was part of the Atlantic Sun for one season (2014) before moving to the Southern Conference (2015-22) for each year since as an affiliate member.
"This is a great day for Spider men's lacrosse," head coach Dan Chemotti said. "The new Atlantic 10 Conference men's lacrosse league is fantastic for our program. Joining the current members of the A-10 while adding affiliate members in High Point and Hobart, immediately makes the Atlantic 10 a strong lacrosse conference. This year alone, five out of the six programs have been ranked or received votes, and four of the programs played in their conference championship games. The Atlantic 10 Conference footprint is great for our program as we historically recruit the areas it covers and will allow for great lacrosse rivalries to develop.."
The Spiders made their fourth NCAA Tournament appearance in eight seasons this year when Richmond battled No. 3 Penn in overtime during the NCAA First Round in Philadelphia. The Spiders also advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2014, 2018 and 2019.
Richmond is one of just 16 programs in the country that has been in at least four NCAA Tournaments since 2014. The Spiders are the only team out of the six new A-10 programs that has been to more than two, while five out of the six programs have made a tournament appearance in that time. Richmond's four NCAA Tournaments since 2014 joins the likes of Maryland (8), Syracuse (7), Duke (7), Notre Dame (7), Virginia (6), Loyola (6), Denver (6), Johns Hopkins (6), Yale (6), North Carolina (5), Cornell (4), Georgetown (4), UAlbany (4), Towson (4) and Bryant (4).
"Adding men's lacrosse to the portfolio of Atlantic 10 sponsored sports provides a home for our four full-time members, who have requested this for several years. Welcoming both High Point and Hobart College as affiliate members rounds out a strong collection of teams that have been nationally competitive, playing in the NCAA postseason multiple times, with multiple national championship appearances," stated Atlantic 10 Commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade.
UMass has sponsored men's lacrosse since 1954, and has advanced to the NCAA Tournament 19 times, including 2006 when the Minutemen were the national runners up. St. Bonaventure's program is relatively new, being established as a varsity sport in 2019. Saint Joseph's program began in 1993 and has played in seven conference championship finals and advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2022.
High Point University is a Division I institution located in High Point, N.C. The Panthers have sponsored men's lacrosse since 2013 and have played in the NCAA Tournament twice, including in 2021.Hobart College is a Division III institution that participates in Division I for men's lacrosse. Located in Geneva, N.Y., the Statesmen program began in 1898 and have won 16 national championships at the Division II, Division III and USILA levels prior to ascending to Division I in 1995. Hobart has played in the NCAA Division I Tournament five times.
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"The Southern Conference has been a great home for the Spiders since 2015, but we are excited about the addition of men's lacrosse to the Atlantic 10," Vice President and Director of Athletics John P. Hardt said. "This is the natural evolution for our men's lacrosse program. Since its inception in 2014, our men's lacrosse program has been the benchmark for new programs, advancing to its fourth NCAA Tournament in eight years this season. This new conference will continue our growth in the sport and we look forward to our program's rise on the national scale."
Richmond will be joined in the Atlantic 10 by full members Saint Joseph's, Massachusetts and St. Bonaventure. Two affiliate members, High Point and Hobart, will also compete in the A-10. The conference will begin play in the 2023 season.
Richmond started its men's lacrosse program in 2014 and has since built one of the top programs in the country. The Spiders have been in eight-straight conference championship games since inception, the only program in the country that has accomplished that feat. Richmond was part of the Atlantic Sun for one season (2014) before moving to the Southern Conference (2015-22) for each year since as an affiliate member.
"This is a great day for Spider men's lacrosse," head coach Dan Chemotti said. "The new Atlantic 10 Conference men's lacrosse league is fantastic for our program. Joining the current members of the A-10 while adding affiliate members in High Point and Hobart, immediately makes the Atlantic 10 a strong lacrosse conference. This year alone, five out of the six programs have been ranked or received votes, and four of the programs played in their conference championship games. The Atlantic 10 Conference footprint is great for our program as we historically recruit the areas it covers and will allow for great lacrosse rivalries to develop.."
The Spiders made their fourth NCAA Tournament appearance in eight seasons this year when Richmond battled No. 3 Penn in overtime during the NCAA First Round in Philadelphia. The Spiders also advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2014, 2018 and 2019.
Richmond is one of just 16 programs in the country that has been in at least four NCAA Tournaments since 2014. The Spiders are the only team out of the six new A-10 programs that has been to more than two, while five out of the six programs have made a tournament appearance in that time. Richmond's four NCAA Tournaments since 2014 joins the likes of Maryland (8), Syracuse (7), Duke (7), Notre Dame (7), Virginia (6), Loyola (6), Denver (6), Johns Hopkins (6), Yale (6), North Carolina (5), Cornell (4), Georgetown (4), UAlbany (4), Towson (4) and Bryant (4).
"Adding men's lacrosse to the portfolio of Atlantic 10 sponsored sports provides a home for our four full-time members, who have requested this for several years. Welcoming both High Point and Hobart College as affiliate members rounds out a strong collection of teams that have been nationally competitive, playing in the NCAA postseason multiple times, with multiple national championship appearances," stated Atlantic 10 Commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade.
UMass has sponsored men's lacrosse since 1954, and has advanced to the NCAA Tournament 19 times, including 2006 when the Minutemen were the national runners up. St. Bonaventure's program is relatively new, being established as a varsity sport in 2019. Saint Joseph's program began in 1993 and has played in seven conference championship finals and advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2022.
High Point University is a Division I institution located in High Point, N.C. The Panthers have sponsored men's lacrosse since 2013 and have played in the NCAA Tournament twice, including in 2021.Hobart College is a Division III institution that participates in Division I for men's lacrosse. Located in Geneva, N.Y., the Statesmen program began in 1898 and have won 16 national championships at the Division II, Division III and USILA levels prior to ascending to Division I in 1995. Hobart has played in the NCAA Division I Tournament five times.
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