READING, Pa. - Albright College President Lex O. McMillan III, Ph.D., announced that the college will add a varsity men's and women's lacrosse program beginning in the fall of 2011. This addition brings the total number of Albright varsity teams that compete at the NCAA Division III level to 23. 

A search for head coaches will begin immediately. Both teams will remain at the club level for the 2010-2011 academic year and will be promoted to varsity status in the fall of 2011. This is the first time in Albright's history that it will sponsor both programs as varsity sports. 

“The addition of the men's and women's lacrosse programs shows that Albright continues to grow as a whole. These two teams will give the college even more opportunities to compete for both conference and national championships,” said Director of Athletics Janice Luck. 

As one of the fastest growing sports at the NCAA Division III level, the Lions will compete in their first varsity season in the spring of 2012. There are currently more than 180 women's lacrosse programs and more than 150 men's lacrosse Division III programs in the nation. Both teams will compete in the Middle Atlantic Conference, which currently sponsors 13 women's teams and 12 men's teams. 

For more information about Albright College visit www.albright.edu. For more information about Albright Athletics visit www.albrightathletics.com. 

Founded in 1856, Albright College is a nationally ranked, private college with a rigorous liberal arts curriculum with an interdisciplinary focus. The College's hallmarks are connecting fields of learning, collaborative teaching and learning, and a flexible curriculum that allows students to create an individualized education. Two-thirds of students graduate with dual/individualized majors in more than 200 different combinations. Albright enrolls about 1,625 undergraduates in traditional programs, another 500 adult students in accelerated degree programs, and 100 students in the master's program in education. Albright College is located in Reading, Pennsylvania, about 60 miles west of Philadelphia.