General | 5/10/2016 4:17:00 PM

Columbia, Mo. – Columbia College has elected to add two new sport programs to its lineup of teams beginning in the fall of 2017. The Cougars will be adding men's lacrosse and women's bowling.  

"We are excited about the expansion of athletic offerings at Columbia College," stated athletic director and head men's basketball coach Bob Burchard.  "Adding men's lacrosse and women's bowling allows us to further our vision of providing quality and sustainable opportunities for student athletes."

Lacrosse has steadily increased in popularity over the last few years and is currently in invitational status with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and will most likely become a championship sport within the next couple years. 27 schools sponsor men's lacrosse in the NAIA.

Bowling is an NAIA emerging sport with hopes that it will enter invitational status later this year. There are currently over 41 schools in the NAIA participating in women's bowling.

Hiring of coaches will begin in the summer of 2016 which will allow the new staff a full year of recruiting before the first competition year in 2017-18.

For women's bowling, the College will work to partner with local bowling facilities for practice and competition. The newly renovated R. Marvin Owens Field will house the men's lacrosse program.  When construction began on the state-of-the-art facility lacrosse was in the discussion and the field was made with the thought of adding the sport.

With the addition of women's bowling and men's lacrosse, the Cougar athletic department sport offerings will total 18.