Johnson State College (JSC) will become the eighth college in the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) to offer women's lacrosse program, beginning 2014-15 academic year.

Women's Lacrosse will be added to the JSC's existing 12 athletic teams overall and as the seventh women's varsity program. Apart from women's lacrosse, the college already offers basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball for women.

"We're very excited to bring women's lacrosse to JSC," said Jamey Ventura, director of athletics and recreation. "Not only will it enable us to meet the growing demand for the program among incoming students, it will strengthen our department and the college as a whole." The college has decided to add women's lacrosse as one of its varsity programs because of its growing popularity at high school and collegiate levels. Till now there are around 32 high schools that offer this program.

The college will soon initiate a national hunt for a new lacrosse coach this summer and then plans to start its recruiting process.

The JSC women's lacrosse team will start competing in tournaments from the 2014-2015 season.

The college already offers men's lacrosse since the 1994-95 academic year.

Earlier, last month, Wartburg College introduced women's lacrosse as its 20th varsity sport, which will also begin competing in 2015. The college has now an equal number of varsity teams for both men and women (10).

Johnson State College, established in 1828, is a public liberal arts college. Its athletic teams, Badgers, participate as members of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division III. Men's sports comprises of basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer and tennis.