Reinhardt University’s Board of Trustees, meeting on Jan. 26, approved the addition of men’s wrestling, and men’s and women’s bowling to the current program of sports Reinhardt University offers. Competition could begin in those sports in the 2016-17 academic year. The addition of the three new sports means that Reinhardt could soon top 500 student-athletes.
“Obviously, there’s a lot that has to be done in order for us to be ready to go by the upcoming year,” said Popp. “We will be looking to hire coaches for the sports and have them in place by the end of February. There has to be a lot done in order for us to improve our facilities to house a wrestling team of 30 members. And if everything falls into place, we can start these sports in 2016-17, but if we need to take another year to make sure we’re completely ready for success, we will launch in 2017-18.
“The NAIA currently classifies men’s bowling and women’s bowling as emerging sports. According to the NAIA website (www.naia.org), 41 NAIA schools participate in men’s bowling and women’s bowling. Much like men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s bowling and women’s bowling are both on track to be considered NAIA championship sports in the near future.
“As new president at Reinhardt, I’m extremely grateful for leadership that has provided the vision, and understands the value, that successful competitive athletic teams bring to our University and to our community,” said RU president, Dr. Kina Mallard. “I’m excited about cheering on our Eagles wrestling and bowling teams.”
The addition of the three sports now brings Reinhardt’s total athletic offerings to 22.
