Varsity Club Sports
In 2000, athletic director Bill Martin announced the creation of a special level for sports at Michigan called Varsity Club status. The new system was established to recognize and increase support for club sports teams that have reached a level of budget, organization and competition that is similar to varsity levels. Varsity club squads are not necessarily closer to being elevated to full varsity status, and will remain for the time being primarily self-funded and administered through the Department of Recreational Sports. However, the designation will give these teams a closer relationship to the U-M athletic department. The Varsity Club status has proven to be a launching pad for sports to eventually become varsity sports at Michigan. In May 2011, Men's and Women's Lacrosse were officially granted varsity status. Men's Lacrosse began their first season of NCAA competition in 2012 while the Women's program will begin varsity competition in 2014.
Current Varsity Club Sports:
- Women's Lacrosse (until 2014)
- Men's Rowing
- Women's Synchronized Skating
- Women's Synchronized Swimming
Read more about this topic: Michigan Wolverines
Famous quotes containing the words club and/or sports:
“He loved to sit silent in a corner of his club and listen to the loud chattering of politicians, and to think how they all were in his power—how he could smite the loudest of them, were it worth his while to raise his pen for such a purpose.”
—Anthony Trollope (1815–1882)
“...I didn’t come to this with any particular cachet. I was just a person who grew up in the United States. And when I looked around at the people who were sportscasters, I thought they were just people who grew up in the United States, too. So I thought, Why can’t a woman do it? I just assumed everyone else would think it was a swell idea.”
—Gayle Gardner, U.S. sports reporter. As quoted in Sports Illustrated, p. 85 (June 17, 1991)