The University of Hartford will add the sports of field hockey and men’s & women’s tennis to its intercollegiate athletics offerings beginning in fall 2024 with varsity competition to commence in fall 2025.
The additions will increase the number of intercollegiate sports offered by the University to 20.
“We are pleased to open up to our students more avenues to participate in intercollegiate athletics,” says Aaron Isaacs, vice president for student success and dean of students. “The growth and popularity of field hockey in the United States is significant, and tennis is a sport also growing in our part of the country, with data showing this year that the sport has surpassed one million players in New England for the first time ever.”
The Hawks are first-year members of the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC), an NCAA Division III athletics conference comprising 10 colleges and universities throughout the New England region. Field hockey and men’s & women’s tennis are among the 20 intercollegiate sports in which the CCC administers championships.
Elizabeth Morrison, recruiting coordinator for the new field hockey program and head women’s lacrosse coachI’m excited to help Hartford Athletics expand its offerings with the addition of field hockey. Recruiting over the next eight months will prepare us to have a club season for field hockey in fall 2024, which will lay the groundwork for our first appearance in the CCC in 2025.”
New Track and Field: Scheduled Opening for Late 2024
The enthusiasm surrounding these new programs will intersect with the opening of UHart’s new track and field on campus, scheduled for completion in late 2024. Built to NCAA standards, this striking addition to the University’s athletics complex will feature a 400-meter, eight-lane “full pour” track that will surround an all-purpose grass field that will accommodate team practices, intramural sports, track and field meets, and the campus community as a whole.
A naming ceremony event for the track is planned for this spring as construction progresses. The renovation of on-campus tennis courts is also being planned.