At Hampton, The Athletic Department Is Well Rounded

Hampton University is highly regarded as one of the nations finest HBCUs, providing a wide range of technical and liberal arts bachelor degrees in 49 different programs, as well as masters degrees in 21 different programs.

While the universitys program is known for its stellar academic programs, it is also making a claim to having one of the nations most well-rounded athletics programs. Last year, Hampton added womens soccer and became the only HBCU with a Division I mens lacrosse team.

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This just keeps in line with what is happening it is all about bringing the best and brightest students to campus to get an education, said Hampton Athletic Director Eugene Marshall. Hampton University, by its very nature, is always looking at how we can bring the best and brightest students to the university. It doesnt always have to be traditional students or through traditional sports.

Womens soccer debuted in the fall of 2015 while mens lacrosse competed at the varsity level for the first time this past spring. The university also boasts a co-ed sailing team that advanced to the College Sailing Nationals for the first time this past spring.

Although there have been struggles womens soccer and mens lacrosse are still looking for their first victories getting on the field and competing has proven beneficial for Hampton. For instance, ESPN aired a two-hour broadcast from the university prior to the mens lacrosse teams first game that included several features on the team and university.

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Hampton mens lacrosse coach Lloyd Carter said the publicity has certainly helped his team.

I dont have to recruit. They come to us, Carter said. Theyre really interested in Hampton and want the HBCU experience. The combination of the two speaks for itself. Weve done a lot to improve our profile locally and nationally, especially through the media coverage we received. The university is very proud of the program.

And the return extends beyond athletics and throughout the universitys campus.

Its always great to have sports that a lot of schools dont have, said Hampton football coach Connell Maynor, whose team opened its season on Sept. 3 with a 54-21 loss at Old Dominion in Norfolk. Of course, they are going to take some lumps, but its going to help the university with notoriety and bringing attention to the athletic program. Once they establish themselves as a good program and good team, it will bring even more attention to the university. Its great for all of the sports.

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Tickets for the AT&T Nations Football Classic begin at $25 and are available at ticketmaster.com. For addition information, please visit nationsfootballclassic.com.

The AT&T Nation’s Football Classic is a black college football game held annually at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. Now in its sixth year, the 2016 game features Howard University against Hampton University and will be played on Saturday, September 17.

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