NEW ROCHELLE, NY - Iona University president
Seamus Carey, Ph.D., and director of athletics
Matthew Glovaski announced the addition of women's golf as its 24th intercollegiate athletic program offering. Iona will immediately open a search for a head coach and aim to begin competition in the 2025-26 academic year.
"We are thrilled to announce the addition of women's golf at Iona University. I want to thank our tremendous partners both on campus and in the community who have made this possible. We are fortunate to have relationships with some of the top golf courses in the region, where our students will be able to develop and excel in the sport," Carey said. "We look forward to welcoming outstanding golfers to play for Iona."
"We're excited to welcome women's golf into our varsity program offerings," said Glovaski. "I am proud to be a part of the institution's ongoing investment in providing opportunities for our students and athletes. We eagerly anticipate the positive impact and achievements this addition will bring to our university."
Siwanoy Country Club is located in Bronxville in close proximity
to Iona's Campus.
The addition of the program continues Iona's growing investment in the student experience and is made possible in part by the University's partnership with three distinguished local clubs in Westchester County including
Siwanoy Country Club in Bronxville,
Saint Andrews Golf Club in Hastings-On-Hudson, and
Wykagyl Country Club in New Rochelle. Iona also looks to take advantage of its Bronxville campus to provide practice facility infrastructure for both its men's and women's golf teams as the program expands.
Iona women's golf will compete in the
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference which is currently comprised of nine schools including full-time MAAC members Fairfield, Mount St. Mary's, Niagara, Quinnipiac and Siena and associate members Albany, Dayton, La Salle, and Loyola Chicago. The league has been holding championships since 2001 with the winning team earning an automatic bid into the NCAA Championships since 2012.
"We are excited that Iona University is adding women's golf to its athletic program," said MAAC Commissioner Travis Tellitocci. "This addition not only expands opportunities for female student-athletes but also enhances the Conference's overall sports sponsorship portfolio among its core member institutions. The ongoing commitment of our core members to elevate the Conference's sports offerings remains instrumental in strengthening the MAAC."
Iona's inaugural Director of Men's and Women's Golf, Sean Burke
Head men's golf coach and Senior Associate AD/Internal Affairs
Sean Burke will become director of men's and women's golf at Iona and will have oversight of both programs. The Gaels will hire a head coach for the women's team and begin recruiting student-athletes for next year.
The women's golf program becomes the 24th varsity athletics program following the announcement of the addition of women's acrobatics and tumbling and men's lacrosse prior to the 2022-23 academic year. The acrobatics and tumbling program competed in its first season this spring culminating in an individual event representation at the NCATA National Championships. Men's lacrosse will compete in its inaugural campaign next Spring 2025.
The news builds upon the momentum at Iona, which continues to expand opportunities for students both inside and outside of the classroom. Notably, Iona's acquisition of a new 28-acre campus in Bronxville, N.Y., has nearly doubled the University's footprint, providing additional field space and performance venues for students to pursue their passions and develop meaningful relationships around shared interests. In addition to its DI Athletics program, Iona offers 13 club sports teams, including a championship e-sports team, as well as a thriving performing arts program and a wide range of community service opportunities.
A school on the rise, The Princeton Review included Iona in its 2024 "Best 389 Colleges" nationwide. In addition, The Wall Street Journal ranked Iona as the #66 Best College in America, including the #8 best Catholic college in the nation and #1 for student experience in New York. Iona also tied Yale as the #4 most recommended college in the Northeast by students in the 2024 WSJ rankings.
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