HOUGHTON, N.Y. – Houghton College will discontinue its men's and women's lacrosse programs following the spring 2021 season, Highlanders Director of Athletics Matthew Webb announced Thursday.

The move allows the athletics department to reallocate resources to programs with the potential for greater strategic impact and growth for the department and college.

"It's never easy to make a decision that impacts student-athletes and coaches. However, as we move forward in these uncertain times, we need to find ways to invest our resources that align with our priorities for competitive excellence and that support areas where there is the most potential for growth," said Webb.

As part of the reallocation of resources, the department plans to invest in wellness and recreation programming that meets growing interest and need on campus and in the local community. This will include a renewed emphasis on intramurals; wellness and fitness programming for students, faculty, staff and local community; and an expanded club sports program.

Additionally, investment will be made in the track and field program with the addition of two graduate assistant coaches. "Of all of our sports, track and field has the greatest potential to grow its roster," said Webb. "We are increasing our expectations for recruitment in this area. Along with the addition of new club sports offerings, we anticipate this investment will have a positive impact on the enrollment of new students at the college."

The lacrosse programs were added in 2012-13 as Houghton transitioned to NCAA Division III and joined the Empire 8 Conference. This spring will mark the ninth and final seasons for both programs. The department will work individually with each lacrosse student-athlete to help them process this move and make the best decisions regarding their future academic careers.

Update 2/4/2021 

Since making the announcement last week that the Highlanders men's and women's lacrosse programs would be discontinued following the spring season, we have deeply appreciated the emails and letters from alumni, parents and current student-athletes who have expressed their understandable disappointment and deep support for the programs.   
 
Institutions nationwide are evaluating how to have the greatest impact on the experience for their entire student body. This decision follows the essential practice of higher education to regularly assess and realign resources in areas that will realize this impact.  
 
Coach Andrew Lundeen, and the coaches before him, have had a significant impact on the lives of our student-athletes.  During the past five years at Houghton, Coach Lundeen created a culture of pride and hard work and has been a valuable member of the Highlander Athletics department. The testimonials received from his current and former players echo these sentiments. Through it all, Coach Lundeen has invested countless hours into student athletes and created a "family" culture in our lacrosse programs.  
 
When a program is discontinued, there are unavoidable personal and emotional impacts. We are thankful for the alumni who have called themselves Highlanders since the programs were launched nine years ago and those who have passionately expressed themselves in recent days. We celebrate the lasting impact that the lacrosse program had on your lives and know that this decision will not diminish that significance. For the student-athletes who are currently finishing their Highlander careers this spring, we hope you will look back with pride on your times as Houghton student-athletes and continue to pursue excellence in all areas of your life. We are confident that Coach Lundeen will field teams this spring that play "all out" each time they step on the field. 
 

Announcement Q&A 

 
What decision was announced? As part of a larger strategic plan, Highlander Athletics will discontinue both men's and women's lacrosse programs at the conclusion of this spring season. 
 
What was the process that led to the decision? As part of the regular process of assessment and re-alignment of resources performed at higher education institutions, Highlander Athletics conducted an internal assessment to identify areas with the most potential for growth. Despite nine years of effort to grow these programs, the rosters remain at almost the same size as they were in 2013. As conscientious stewards, Highlander Athletics must redirect our energy and resources from this unsustainable model to maximize our students' experience and realize growth for the college. 
 
Could these sports be reinstated at a later date or transition to club status? The addition of sport(s) is reviewed periodically based on the following factors:  demand and growth within the NCAA and our conference, fit within our department vision and current sports offerings, overall enrollment impact, and the cost of launching and supporting the sport on an ongoing basis.   
 
How will the college/department reinvest in the student experience? Based on input from the campus, an internal review, and with the increased importance of health and wellness in our society, we believe there is growing interest and a need to increase our emphasis in this area. In addition, graduate assistant coaches will be added for several sports and the college will pursue the launch of club sports. 
 
How does this decision affect Houghton's membership in the Empire 8? This decision does not affect our standing in the Empire 8. 
 
Why is this being announced now? Although there is never an ideal time for an announcement like this, especially at the start of the semester, we wanted to be transparent about this decision and communicate it with our student-athletes and prospective recruits as soon as possible once the decision was made. 
 
How many student-athletes are directly affected by this decision? There are currently 15 members of the women's lacrosse team and 16 members of men's lacrosse team. 
 
How will the affected student-athletes be supported? We will be working with each student-athlete individually as they process this decision and consider what is best for them as they move forward in their academic careers. 
 

Share Your Thoughts 

This announcement deeply impacts our student-athletes, alumni, and their families. We invite you to share your thoughts, as well as communicate words of appreciation to Coach Lundeen, and any of our previous coaches (Joey Wilmot, Josiah Snelgrove, Rachel Snelgrove, Amanda Zacchigna, Cassley Jackowski) using this form.