Herkimer College Announces Changes to Athletic Teams

HERKIMER, NY – The Herkimer County Community College Athletic Department has announced several changes to the intercollegiate sports programs offered.

Effective with the fall 2016 semester, Herkimer College will suspend the women’s lacrosse and men’s tennis programs. Additionally, an intercollegiate junior varsity basketball club team will be added in the fall of 2016, and men’s and women’s golf teams will be offered beginning in the fall of 2017.

Director of Athletics Donald Dutcher said “Over the past several months, we conducted an evaluation of our programs, along with the Faculty-Student Association leadership, and it became clear that we needed to make some changes. Our recommendations to the College administration were based on several factors including expenses and revenues, coaching vacancies, levels of student interest and the success of specific sports.”

“There are no Herkimer County schools offering women’s lacrosse, which impacts interest,” said Dutcher. “Golf is a low cost program in which there is student interest. Herkimer County schools offer golf and there are several great young golfers in the area. We believe there is a growing interest in the sport of golf,” Dutcher added.

A junior varsity men’s basketball team will have the ability to play a 15 or 16 game schedule, and players can potentially be moved up to the varsity team. “There are many students who try out for basketball, and only so many can make the team. We see the JV team as a win-win for the students and the program,” said Dutcher.

The Herkimer Generals athletic program began with five sports in 1970, and now offers 19 varsity offerings and one JV team. With the program’s growth has come great success with 53 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) national championships, 111 Region III titles, 153 Mountain Valley Conference championships and 30 NJCAA Academic Team of the Year awards. In 2014 and 2015, the Herkimer Generals athletic program won the National Alliance of Two Year College Athletic Administrators (NATYCAA) Cup, ranking the Herkimer Generals first in the nation among non-scholarship two-year athletic programs, based on national championship competition. The Herkimer Generals also have been recognized with the Region III Sportsmanship and Community Service Awards. For more information, visit www.HerkimerGenerals.com, email dutcherdm@herkimer.edu or call the Athletic Department at 315-866-0300, ext. 8255.