La Salle will add four varsity sports and bolster its spirit squads beginning in the 2025-26 academic year.

A new chapter in La Salle athletics’ storied history was announced in April 2024 when the University unveiled a growth plan that included adding four varsity sports.

The Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation will add women’s rugby, women’s acrobatics and tumbling, and women’s triathlon, and will reinstate baseball for the 2025-26 academic year.

President Daniel J. Allen, Ph.D., and Vice President of Athletics & Recreation and Director of Athletics Ashwin Puri also announced that La Salle will bolster its cheerleading and dance squads as well as add a band program to enhance the student experience on campus and the fan experience at athletic competitions.

The plan was endorsed by University leadership and the Board of Trustees, including the Board’s Student Experience, Athletics & Recreation Committee.

“Over the course of the last several months, La Salle University and the Athletics Department have had the opportunity to re-examine the current climate of intercollegiate athletics and our own position and offerings,” Allen said at the time. “Through a careful analysis, the Department determined the conditions that led to eliminating varsity sports in 2020 have changed and that the timing is right to add select varsity sports, enhance our dance and cheerleader squads, and develop a band program.”

Aligning for success

The sports additions bring the number of varsity programs to 23 (nine men’s and 14 women’s).

“Upon my arrival at 20th and Olney, we discussed writing the next chapter for La Salle Athletics and our student-athletes,” Puri, who started in June 2023, said. “With the addition of these four sports and enhancing the in-game experience, we believe we are creating sustainable solutions for long-term success.”

The varsity sports being added align with access to current athletics facilities, offer the best potential for roster growth, capitalize on regional competition to reduce travel costs, and can quickly become competitive.

“Our initial review included an evaluation of the six sports that were ultimately eliminated in 2020 to see if there was an opportunity to reinstate any of them,” Puri said. “It was clear from our analysis that baseball offered the best opportunity for reinstatement given our existing infrastructure and the strong alumni support for the program that continues to resonate.”

Enrollment impact

La Salle anticipates adding 225 new students between the growth of current rosters, starting the four sports, the enhancements to cheer and dance, and the addition of band. To begin, the University plans for an initial year-over-year increase of 40 student-athletes in fall 2024 for existing rosters separate from the expansion as it builds the infrastructure to support a larger cohort of student-athletes on campus. The University will then add another 160 new students in fall 2025 and then 25 more new students when at full capacity by fall 2026.

“Adding these varsity sports teams and club sports will create new opportunities for participation, support a more vibrant campus community, and increase school spirit among all of our diverse stakeholders, both on campus and off,” John Grady, ʼ89, chair of the Student Experience, Athletics, & Recreation Committee of La Salle’s Board of Trustees, said. “This is an exciting moment for La Salle University.”

Before any programs can begin competition, the Athletic Department began hiring coaches for the added programs in June 2024. Student-athlete recruitment will begin immediately with the goal of beginning competition in 2025–26.

Multi-phased plan

The University is also implementing a multi-phased plan to improve locker rooms and meeting spaces through philanthropic support. In phase one, the Athletic Department will reclaim unused space in McCarthy Stadium to enhance the experiences of student-athletes who are members of existing programs. In phase two, attention will be turned to the renovation of locker rooms and meeting spaces in TruMark Financial Center, first for the basketball programs and then for new and existing programs. These improvements will be made possible through the generous gifts of La Salle’s alumni, parents, and friends.

”We are making decisions that best position the institution for success and growth,” Allen said. “We believe that executing this strategy now puts the University and Athletic Department in a stronger position moving forward.”

Learn more about this announcement.

Glaser Arena Update

Construction to renovate the basketball arena inside TruMark Financial Center is well under way and on schedule, with the opening set for fall 2024 when the men’s team hosts American University on November 4 in the home opener of the newly designed arena (visit goexplorers.com for ticket information). Plans to change the court orientation to create a 360-degree bowl design, an enhanced fan experience, and to rename the space John Glaser Arena were announced in September 2023 and implementation of the plan began as soon as the basketball seasons ended.

When fans arrive for an event at TruMark Financial Center, they will enter the lot off Olney Avenue through the newly-renamed Tom Gola Way. Prior to entering the building, patrons will be greeted with an enhanced Tom Gola Plaza, a space properly honoring the all-time great Explorer who is widely considered one of the best college basketball players in history.

The area surrounding the existing Gola statue will be enhanced to include lighting, seating, and refreshed landscaping.

—Brian Kirschner and Dan Lobacz