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Florida State University is getting a varsity women’s lacrosse team less than two years after it was found to be out of compliance with Title IX, which ban discrimination on the basis of sex in higher education.
The university’s women’s lacrosse team, currently a club team, sent the institution’s leaders a letter in August demanding that women’s lacrosse be converted to an official varsity sport, USA Today reported. The letter threatened Florida State with a sex-discrimination lawsuit if it did not comply and accusing the university of “depriving its female students and potential students of equal opportunities to participate in varsity intercollegiate athletics.”
The university announced Tuesday that the new team would take the field during the 2025–26 academic year.
“We are excited to add women’s lacrosse as a varsity scholarship program at Florida State,” Michael Alford, university vice president and director of athletics, said in a news release. “Lacrosse is the fastest growing college sport nationally and it is evident that our culture and community will enthusiastically embrace it. Lacrosse provides another opportunity to compete at a championship level.”
In addition to adding the varsity women’s lacrosse team, The Tallahassee Democrat reported, Florida State will “conduct a gender equity review” of its athletic department, develop a gender equity plan by next July and implement the plan to make it compliant with Title IX by the 2025–26 academic year.
