Missouri Western added women’s lacrosse as the 17th NCAA Division II varsity sport at the University. The team will become active in the 2020-21 academic year and begin competition in the spring of 2021.

Missouri Western will become the fourth NCAA Division II member in the state of Missouri to add the sport and the first from the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA). Missouri Western will be the only public DII member in the state of Missouri sponsoring women’s lacrosse.

A national search for the program’s head coach is underway. The sport will be played on Craig Field in Spratt Memorial Stadium.

Women’s lacrosse is the fastest growing NCAA sport, with a 58.3% increase in sport sponsorship over the past 10 years. It is also the fastest growing DII sport with a 129.7% increase in the last 10 years. Currently, 109 NCAA DII members sponsor women’s lacrosse.