Next fall, Eugene area sports fans will have two new teams to follow. Lane Community College is adding men’s soccer and women’s volleyball to its roster.
LCC last had men’s soccer in 1986 and women’s volleyball in 2003. Lane Athletic Director Greg Sheley says bringing back the two sports is part of the school’s plan to increase enrollment, which has been down:
Sheley: “These programs will bring students to campus [in] pretty good numbers that historically will progress, complete and transfer. And I think that’s a really important thing on our campus and within our community.”
Sheley says LCC will hire new coaches and staff and use existing sports facilities. They anticipate fees, tuition and state reimbursement to cover the costs for the new sports. He admits to a ‘crunched’ timeline for next fall’s seasons: Recruiting is already underway and hiring is in process.
