Webber men's lacrosse to join Appalachian Athletic Conference
Babson Park, Fla. (06/15/2020) — Webber International University Director of Athletics Darren Richie has announced that for Webber's first official season of varsity men's lacrosse competition in 2021, the Warriors' men's lacrosse team will compete as a member of the Appalachian Athletic Conference.
"We are pleased to welcome Webber International's new men's lacrosse team to the AAC," said AAC Commissioner John Sullivan. "We anticipate that as the Warriors build their new program, they will benefit from the high level of competition found here in the AAC. This is an exciting sport that continues to grow not only in our league but across the nation. We are proud to be competitive leaders in the sport not only on the men's side but also the women's."
Webber is the first institution from the state of Florida to be a part of the AAC.
With the addition of Webber, the AAC will have eight teams competing in men's lacrosse. Other team participating in men's lacrosse will be the University of the Cumberlands, Montreat College, Point University, Reinhardt University, SCAD Savannah, St. Andrews University and Tennessee Wesleyan University. Three of those schools were ranked in the top-seven in the NAIA when the season ended last year, including No. 1 Reinhardt, No. 3 Cumberland and No. 7 SCAD.
Webber Head Men's Lacrosse Coach Chris Burdick said, "This is a great opportunity for our players and our program. The Appalachian Athletic Conference is one of the strongest lacrosse conferences in the NAIA. Conference affiliation offers identity in recruiting, a challenging schedule and most importantly the opportunity to compete in a conference tournament. I would like to personally thank Webber's Director of Athletics Darren Richie for taking the lead on this and putting the work in to make it a reality."
"Joining the AAC for men's lacrosse is the perfect fit for Webber as we kick off our first season next Spring," said Richie. "Thank you to AAC Commissioner John Sullivan for supporting our growth and making this a smooth transition."
The next AAC Conference Tournament for men's lacrosse will be held April 16-17 for the first round and April 23-24 for the final four.
Men's lacrosse is still considered an invitational sport within the NAIA. The four conferences include the Appalachian Athletic Conference, the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference, the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference and the Association of independent Institutions, creating four automatic bids to nationals along with four at-large berths.
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