ETSU trustees approve new women's athletics program

During its regular quarterly meeting held earlier today, the East Tennessee State University Board of Trustees set a new direction for the university's future in athletics and commemorated significant milestones in student enrollment.

New athletics program

To provide additional athletics opportunities for women, the board approved the establishment of a new women's Acrobatics and Tumbling athletics program. It is currently recognized as an emerging sport by the NCAA and is expected to achieve NCAA Championship Sport status by 2024.

Fifty-three other colleges currently offer the sport. The university has marked out a strategic roadmap for the program, with plans to hire a head coach in the coming spring. Recruitment initiatives will kick off next summer, and limited competitions are slated for spring 2026. ETSU's participation in its first championship season is anticipated for spring 2027. This initiative will create 28 new athletic opportunities for ETSU’s female athletes.

“ETSU is proud to be at the forefront of supporting new competitive opportunities for women,” Dr. Richard Sander, ETSU’s director of Intercollegiate Athletics, said. “And we are thrilled to bring another exciting spectator sport to the community. I look forward to seeing crowds of dedicated Buc fans cheering for this team in the years to come.”  

“The NCATA is thrilled to welcome East Tennessee State University to the Acrobatics and Tumbling community,” said Janell Cook, executive director of the National Collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling Association. “They have been diligent and thoughtful throughout their exploration process and displayed their commitment to adding unique varsity opportunities for women at ETSU.  Every new A&T program provides new opportunities for young women training in gymnastics and cheerleading to pursue their academic and competitive goals as an NCAA student-athlete.”  

"The addition of ETSU adds new NCAA D1 opportunities in the southeast region, which has experienced tremendous growth over the past several years,” Felecia Mulkey, NCATA director of Expansion and head coach of Acrobatics and Tumbling at Baylor University, said. “ETSU's brand and fan base will help to continue growth not only in the region, but nationally."

Bank of Tennessee Field

The board also approved a proposal to name ETSU's football field at the William B. Greene, Jr. Stadium as the "Bank of Tennessee Field." This decision comes in recognition of the invaluable contributions made by the Bank of Tennessee in supporting ETSU Athletics and the "Be Great" program, which aims at fostering comprehensive development for student-athletes.

“We’re excited to continue this partnership with Bank of Tennessee,” said Sander. “I want to thank Mr. William B. Greene Jr. and Dr. Linda Latimer for their continued support of ETSU Athletics and our entire region.”

“Bank of Tennessee is thrilled for the opportunity to have the naming rights of the field and to continue to support our regional university,” said Greene Jr. “ETSU has a massive impact on where we live, and we look forward to our long-standing partnership.”

A photo of Bank of Tennessee Field is available for download here. 

Enrollment records

Amidst these athletic advancements, ETSU reached an academic milestone as well. The university proudly announced its largest ever incoming class of first-year students this fall, setting a new record in its enrollment history, and celebrated its all-time largest graduate enrollment count.

"This is a transformative time for this institution and our community," ETSU President Dr. Brian Noland said. "From student life to academics, from new construction to new degree programs, the university is growing, achieving new levels of excellence, and fostering ever closer connections to our region."

###