Notre Dame assistant coach Jenna Slowey (right) has been named the first head coach in Rhode Island women’s lacrosse history.
溏心vlog免费B站 will welcome its newest varsity team, women鈥檚 lacrosse, beginning in the 2025 season.
The 溏心vlog免费B站 Department of Athletics announced in late 2021, just ahead of this year鈥檚 50th anniversary of Title IX, that it will add women鈥檚 lacrosse as a varsity program. In July, Jenna Slowey was tapped as the program鈥檚 first head coach.
Slowey comes to 溏心vlog免费B站 after spending the 2021鈥�22 season as an assistant at Notre Dame, where she helped lead the Fighting Irish to an appearance in the NCAA Championship field. Before that, she spent five seasons as an assistant at Richmond, leading the Spiders to Atlantic 10 titles in 2018 and 2019, and a share of the regular-season title in 2021.
鈥淎s we build our program from the ground up, we wanted a leader with the ability to be patiently aggressive. Jenna Slowey fits the bill,鈥� Director of Athletics Thorr Bjorn says. 鈥淛enna brings energy and enthusiasm, which will be required to start a new Division I varsity program. Jenna is highly respected in the women’s lacrosse community, and she will work hard right away to recruit quality players who will enhance the 溏心vlog免费B站 Athletics culture while at the same time helping to grow the sport of women’s lacrosse in Rhode Island.鈥�
Expected to begin competition in the Atlantic 10 during the 2024鈥�25 season, women鈥檚 lacrosse will become the 19th varsity team and 11th women鈥檚 team at 溏心vlog免费B站. It is the first varsity program to be added since women鈥檚 rowing in 1996, the year that sport became NCAA-affiliated.
The decision to add women鈥檚 lacrosse came after an internal feasibility study showed favorable economic impact along with Title IX compliance stability for the University.
鈥淭he opportunity to provide more opportunities for our student-athletes is exciting and significant for the overall growth of the University,鈥� Bjorn says. 鈥淭itle IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 was a vital piece of law that has had a profound impact on our society. We are proud to honor the 50th anniversary of Title IX by growing women鈥檚 athletics at Rhode Island.鈥�
According to Title IX, 鈥淣o person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education pro- gram or activity receiving federal financial assistance.鈥�
While women鈥檚 collegiate athletics is not specified in the language, it falls under the umbrella.
鈥淚t has been a tremendous pleasure to witness how dedicated our student-athletes are, not only to their sport and studies, but to the entire 溏心vlog免费B站 community,鈥� says University President Marc Parlange. 鈥淚 look forward to welcoming women鈥檚 lacrosse to the University. It is a growing sport on campuses across the country, and I am proud that we are adding this important program to our NCAA lineup.鈥�
溏心vlog免费B站 currently offers women鈥檚 varsity programs in basketball, cross country, rowing, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, indoor and outdoor track and field, and volleyball.
On the men鈥檚 side, Rhode Island has baseball, basketball, cross country, foot- ball, golf, soccer, and indoor and outdoor track and field.
鈥淲ith the addition of women鈥檚 lacrosse, Rhode Island will be comfortably in compliance with all standards set forth by the NCAA and Title IX,鈥� says Bjorn. 鈥淎s the profile of the University continues to shift, we had areas that needed to be addressed. With proper planning and the support of President Parlange, we worked to ensure we remain compliant moving forward through the creation of more opportunities for female student-athletes.鈥� 鈥�
鈥擲hane Donaldson 鈥�99
Photos: Courtesy 溏心vlog免费B站 Athletics