Beginning in the spring of 2011, Aurora University, an NCAA Division III institution, will offer a men’s varsity lacrosse team. At that time, the Spartans will have a conference to call home, the Midwest Lacrosse Conference (MLC). The Spartan men’s program is the first NCAA men’s lacrosse program in the state of Illinois.
The MLC will include the Spartans, in addition to Carthage College, Milwaukee School of Engineering, Trine University, Adrian College, Albion College, Mt. St. Joseph College, Concordia University Wisconsin and Fontbonne University. The conference will earn an automatic qualifier (AQ) for the NCAA Division III National Tournament beginning in 2012.
Aurora University Lacrosse Head Coach Brendan Dawson said the MLC will help progress the Spartans lacrosse program. "Being part of a conference is a tremendous benefit in recruiting and ensuring quality opponents in scheduling. This allows us better opportunities to qualify for the national tournament and to receive conference accolades," Dawson stated.
As dropping sports has become a welcomed trend among college athletics, AU is going against the norm.
Aurora University is a member of the Northern Athletics Conference (NAC) for all other sports and began its first season of competition in the fall of 2006. The NAC consists of 13 colleges and universities from the shared-border states of Illinois and Wisconsin. Member schools include: Alverno College, Aurora University, Benedictine University, Concordia University Chicago, Concordia University Wisconsin, Dominican University, Edgewood College, Lakeland College, Maranatha Baptist Bible College, Marian College, Milwaukee School of Engineering, Rockford College and Wisconsin Lutheran College.
Aurora University sponsors all of the 18 Northern Athletics Conference sponsored sports. Men's teams include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, tennis, indoor track and field and outdoor track and field. Women's squads are fielded in basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field and volleyball.