SCAD expands recreation and intramural opportunities for students: Rowing team discontinued as part of refocusing efforts

File photo by Dane Sponberg
Flag football is one of the sports fielded by SCAD’s rapidly growing intramural program.

By: Michael MacEachern

Published: Friday, June 29, 2007

The Savannah College of Art and Design is making changes to the Bees’ athletics, recreation and intramural departments. According to SCAD athletics director Jud Damon, one of the biggest changes is that women’s lacrosse will become a varsity program in Fall 2007. SCAD’s varsity men’s lacrosse team began in 2004 and has more than two dozen members. The women’s program has been operating as a club sport since 2005, and Nicole Pritchard, who has served as a graduate assistant for the team, will become the first head coach.

With expansion comes tightening in other areas. Damon announced that the SCAD men’s and women’s rowing programs have been discontinued as of the end of May. (See related story below.)

“Unfortunately, a beloved program has ended,” he said. “However, this change is in response to the interest of the student body. A variety of factors, including recruitment, the lack of local venues and the lack of NAIA sponsorship, led to the discontinuation of rowing. It was a very difficult decision to make.”

The rowing program started in 1989. Forty-two student-athletes competed on the men’s and women’s rowing team during the 2006-07 season. Damon said the college plans to maintain support for the limited number of students who were receiving athletics scholarships through the completion of their degree programs.

SCAD also is adding support staff in order to place greater emphasis on the college’s fitness, recreation and intramural programs, which have seen enormous growth. This past academic year, more than 1,000 students participated.

SCAD offers a full lineup of intramural sports, including basketball, flag football, volleyball, softball and dodgeball, as well as a variety of student-organized activities. Other offerings include free-sport and personal challenge activities, such as residence hall challenges, three-on-three basketball and two-on-two sand volleyball.

The college has begun a nationwide search for its first full-time director of intramurals and is expanding recreational opportunities for students by creating a director of recreation position. Eddie Concepción, who has served as the director of student recreation and fitness for the past two years, will begin his new duties as director of recreation July 1.

In addition, as part of its expansion of recreation offerings, the athletics department is forming an outdoor activities club to help students become acquainted with college and area resources while providing fitness opportunities. Activities such as canoeing, off-road biking, rock climbing, whitewater rafting, scuba diving, and athletic competitions with other colleges will be offered during academic quarters.


MacEachern is sports information director at SCAD.