EDISON, NJ (Apr. 4, 2022) – The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) today announced that Virginia Military Institute (VMI) will rejoin men’s lacrosse beginning in 2022-23, voted on by the MAAC Council of Presidents and unanimously approved on March 25. VMI men’s lacrosse returns to the MAAC after previously being an associate member from 2003 through 2013.
“The MAAC membership welcomes back VMI to the Men's Lacrosse League,” said MAAC Commissioner Rich Ensor. “In a time of conference realignment, the MAAC is committed to assisting schools seeking to maintain access to the NCAA Championship AQ and providing a high level of competition for the student-athletes.”
“VMI will be a great addition to the MAAC Men’s Lacrosse League and we are excited to welcome them back to our league as a member,” said Canisius Athletic Director Bill Maher. “The addition of VMI solidifies our men’s lacrosse membership and ensures that the VMI student-athletes have a chance to compete for a championship. It is truly a win-win situation for everyone involved.”
VMI men’s lacrosse rejoins the MAAC after departing in 2014 to join the Atlantic Sun (A-Sun) for one year. Following the brief stint in the A-Sun, the Keydets joined the Southern Conference (SoCon) in 2015 to present. During VMI’s first stint in the league, the team made an appearance in the 2008 Championship title game.
“VMI is excited to be rejoining the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference in the sport of lacrosse. We appreciate Commissioner Ensor’s effort in having VMI return to the conference and providing a home for the sport. This move enhances our partnership with the conference where we are currently competing in women’s water polo. VMI has enjoyed its growth in lacrosse while participating in the Southern Conference, and we look forward to continued growth, while rekindling some past rivalries, in the MAAC,” said Lenny Brown, VMI Deputy Athletic Director.
“We are excited as a program to be rejoining the MAAC,” added VMI Head Coach James Purpura. “I want to thank MAAC commissioner Rich Ensor and the rest of the MAAC leadership for welcoming VMI lacrosse back to the MAAC. There’s a longstanding history of competitive lacrosse in the MAAC and we look forward to renewing some old rivalries from VMI’s previous time in the MAAC. We look forward to playing in some new geographies that will help build a presence for VMI in the Northeast. With the growth of lacrosse programs in the south over the last decade, it will also allow us to maintain competitive out of conference more locally. This is an exciting time for VMI lacrosse to have a new home and another opportunity for us to grow and compete as a program.”
The 2022 MAAC Men's Lacrosse Championship will take place on May 5 and 7. The four-team championship will be hosted by the highest seed with the semifinal round played on Thursday and the championship final played on Saturday. The championship title game will start at 10 a.m. with the match airing on ESPNU.
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 41st year of competition during the 2021-22 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Manhattan College, Marist College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College.
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