Although they were just formed this past year, the WKU men’s lacrosse team became the eighth team in the Southern Men’s Lacrosse League (SMLL), the league announced Sunday.

The men’s lacrosse club team was started in the fall of 2023 by Jared Sell, a WKU sophomore and club president. It was announced on Instagram on Sunday that WKU has officially joined the SMLL, an intercollegiate club lacrosse league for colleges that don’t have NCAA teams.

The SMLL, a league formed last year, holds Georgia College and State University, Mississippi State University, Morehouse College, Samford University, Western Carolina University, WKU, University Tennessee Chattanooga and University of South Alabama.

Although the team has joined the league, it is still affiliated with WKU’s clubs and not a part of Athletics, WKU spokesperson Jace Lux told the Herald on Friday.

Joining the SMLL provides the team with opportunities to connect with other schools and the chance to compete for a championship title, WKU Men’s Lacrosse club coach Cody Rizzo told the Herald on Friday.

“This will help us with recruiting and exposure,” Rizzo said, “And the better competition will (be) great for the program.”

Entering their second year, Rizzo said, the team is looking to improve from this past year, be competitive and start to establish themselves as a program.

Sell told the Herald on Tuesday that the team is looking to compete for championships this coming year.

“We are able to compete with the teams in the league and are looking to turn into a high level program,” he said.

The team is excited to have home games in the upcoming season, Sell said, because it will provide greater opportunities for the WKU community to get involved.

“We are excited to announce that home games will be played at Bowling Green High School’s soccer field,” Sell said.

Sell encourages students to get involved with the team by coming to games and following them on social media.

If a student has lacrosse experience and is interested in trying out, they should reach out to the team.

“(The) fall season schedule should be released (the) first week of school,” Sell said. “The spring schedule should be posted sometime following. Keep up to date with our Instagram.”

News reporter Cameron Shaw can be reached at [email protected].