The Hobart and William Smith Colleges Board of Trustees voted today to reclassify Hobart lacrosse from Division I to Division III. Citing the changing landscape of collegiate lacrosse and the challenges inherent in recruiting talented student-athletes at the Division I level without athletic scholarships, the Board voted to move to Division III starting with the 2008-09 academic year.

“The Board recognizes that the college lacrosse landscape has changed dramatically in the past decade,” says David Deming ’75, the Chair of the Hobart and William Smith Board of Trustees. “Hobart and Johns Hopkins are the only two primarily Division III institutions competing in Division I men’s lacrosse. But unlike Johns Hopkins, under NCAA regulations, Hobart is not permitted to offer athletic scholarships. Moving to Division III will level the playing field for our coaches in recruitment and our students in competition.”

Reclassifying programs are not eligible for the NCAA tournament for the first two years in their new division. Hobart will request a waiver, but 2011 is expected to be the first season in which the Statesmen are eligible for the NCAA Division III lacrosse playoffs. The requirement allows Division I caliber players to graduate from the program and for the program to make compliance adjustments to Division III regulations and policies.