Bethel College Director of Athletics, Tom Visker, has announced that the Pilots will be adding three new programs to the athletic department beginning in the fall of 2015. The three new additions will be women's lacrosse, men's rugby and a coed drumline. Interviews for head coaches have already begun and the recruiting process for the new programs will begin immediately.

The Bethel College women's lacrosse team will have the option of joining the Women's Collegiate Lacrosse League (WCLL) or the National Women's Lacrosse League (NWLL), both of which currently have regional NAIA instructions as competing members. Crossroads League members Grace College and Taylor University both compete within the WCLL Division II South Region while teams from the neighboring Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (Aquinas College, Davenport University, Indiana Tech, Lawrence Tech, Lourdes University and Siena Heights University) all compete in the NWLL. While the NAIA does not yet include women's lacrosse as a varsity sport, 24 different NAIA institutions provide women's lacrosse programs across the country.

The Bethel College men's rugby team is looking to compete in the National Small College Rugby Organization (NSCRO). The NSCRO is divided into four regions and then into smaller units classified as conferences or unions. Crossroads League members Grace College, Indiana Wesleyan University and Taylor University currently hold affiliation with the Indiana Rugby Football Union's North Bracket along with Anderson University (NCAA DIII) and Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (NCAA DI).

The Bethel College coed drumline's focus will be to enhance the competitive and family-friendly atmosphere at Bethel Pilot home events. The drumline will perform at home games during the fall, winter and spring for both men's and women's contests.

"We are excited to add these new programs to our athletic department," said Visker. "Lacrosse and Rugby are two of the fastest growing sports nationwide. We will be able to offer these athletes the same quality Christ-centered academic and athletic experience as the athletes of our current teams. The drumline will add a fun and entertaining dimension to our athletic contests."

For further information regarding the new programs being added to the Bethel College Athletic Department, please contact Tom Visker via email at [email protected] .

The Bethel College Pilots compete in 15 intercollegiate sports for men and women. While accumulating 3 NAIA National Championships and 30 NCCAA National Championships by 10 different athletic teams, Bethel has also produced 120 NAIA All-American honors and 263 NAIA Scholar-Athlete honors over the past decade. Bethel College is an accredited Christian college offering associate, bachelor's, and master's degrees in more than 70 areas of study. Connect with Bethel Athletics online at BethelCollegePilots.com or via Facebook (Facebook.com/BethelPilots) and Twitter (Twitter.com/Bethel_Sports).