Men's Golf | 10/23/2024 12:49:46 PM

Story courtesy of IU Southeast Athletics

Chancellor Debbie Ford and Director of Athletics Tod Bannister announced today that Indiana University Southeast is expanding its athletic program with the addition of men's and women's golf teams, set to begin competition in the fall of 2025.

These teams will be the first new sports added to the school since 2006 when fast-pitch softball was introduced. This brings the number of intercollegiate varsity sports at IU Southeast to nine.

"We are proud to welcome women's and men's golf to Grenadier Athletics," said Ford. "These new sports will give golf athletes a great opportunity to compete while learning in one of our outstanding academic programs."

The Grenadiers, who compete in the NAIA's River States Conference, also offer Men's and Women's Basketball, Men's and Women's Tennis, Volleyball, Baseball, and Softball as varsity sports.

Each golf team will consist of approximately 10 student-athletes. Their seasons are comprised of a fall non-championship season consisting of three to four tournaments and a championship season in the spring with seven to eight additional tournaments.

Their home courses will be Covered Bridge Golf Club in Sellersburg and Champions Pointe Golf Club in Henryville, both designed by PGA champion Frank Urban "Fuzzy" Zoeller, Jr. a native of New Albany, Indiana.

IU Southeast is especially proud to have professional golfing legend and southern Indiana's own Fuzzy Zoeller announce his support for the initiative. "I am very excited and proud to support this initiative to broaden the opportunity for golf and sports, in general, to be utilized to expand the horizons of student-athletes," said Zoeller. "The virtues of sports and golf, in particular, give our future leaders a well-balanced education while highlighting the fundamentals of teamwork, individual determination, honesty, humbleness, etiquette, and tradition."

"This is an opportunity to shine a light on IU Southeast, Indiana University, and the community we appreciate so much. New Albany and Southern Indiana have always been the backbone of my support, and I feel we all should give back with support. I look forward to the success of this program and our community leaders supporting this effort with me," Zoeller said.

"We are thrilled to partner with Indiana University Southeast to support the launch of their new golf program," said Chris Tuohey, general manager at Covered Bridge and Champions Pointe Golf Clubs. "Using Covered Bridge as the home course provides student-athletes with a top-tier facility to develop their skills, while also creating a foundation for future success in collegiate golf. We look forward to working together to foster the growth of the program and to create exceptional experiences for the students."

The River States Conference (RSC) of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) is comprised of 12 public and private colleges and universities in Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky. Currently, 10 members field a men's golf team, and nine schools compete in women's golf.

"The IU Southeast Athletic Department is thrilled to add men's and women's golf to our sports offerings beginning in the fall of 2025," said Bannister. "These programs will provide opportunities for young men and women who are looking to further their careers. Southern Indiana and Louisville are populated with an ample amount of golf talent that could have an immediate impact on the program. We expect to produce championships at the individual and team level and to provide additional opportunities for the community to engage with the university.