USA South to add LaGrange

The USA South Athletic Conference will add LaGrange College as a full member beginning with the 2012-13 academic year. LaGrange, located in LaGrange, Ga., is currently an affiliate member of the USA South, participating only in women’s lacrosse.

Currently the Panthers, competing as full members of the Great South Athletic Conference, offer eight men’s sports (baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, swimming and tennis) and eight women’s sports (basketball, cross country, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis and volleyball). The USA South currently sponsors all but men’s and women’s swimming.

“We will be joining a prestigious conference with a track record of success in national tournaments,” LaGrange president Dan Alexander said. “Our student-athletes now will have more opportunities to achieve excellence through postseason play, especially our men’s teams, which will be able to compete for automatic bids to their respective NCAA Division III national playoffs.”

LaGrange is the second institution in as many weeks to announce its intention to join the USA South. Piedmont accepted an invitation on April 11 to become a full member of the league.