HIGH POINT, North Carolina — High Point University announced a new athletic plan for intercollegiate clubs, which will take effect immediately and begin in 2025.
Under the leadership of High Point native Dr. Stephen Denny, who was named athletic director of the intercollegiate club in December, club sports will now be an extension of the HPU athletic department.
“This is an exciting opportunity to expand the club sports offerings as an extension of the athletic department and increase the reach of Panther Athletics,” said Dr. Denny. “I expect a large number of athletes will want to compete at this level and take advantage of the overall educational environment at High Point University.”
High Point University’s intercollegiate club sports will feature more than 30 teams and 850 athletes, with the long-term plan to add more offerings.
Teams will compete in state-of-the-art facilities and benefit from a collegiate sports experience, although scholarship opportunities will not be available at first.
“High Point University has a long history of maximizing opportunities through creative strategic initiatives, and we are very pleased to announce the Intercollegiate Club Athletic Plan,” said Dan Hauser, HPU vice president and athletic director. . “The NCAA collegiate sports landscape has changed tremendously with the transfer portal, NIL, and the House Settlement, which has resulted in fewer athletic opportunities for high school graduates. The HPU Intercollegiate Club athletic plan will create the ability to meeting this need for competitive athletic participation at an elite level of experience. We look forward to the leadership of our new ICS Athletic Director, Stephen Denny, as we transform and grow the program for the. future.
The successes of HPU Club Sports helped revive this initiative. Last year, the ice hockey team was crowned ACCHL champions after beating UNC Chapel Hill 5-3, while other club sports teams like baseball and men’s golf thrived in recent years.
For students interested in joining Intercollegiate Club Sports, they can visit Dr. Denny and Assistant Director Brady Bauer at their offices located in the Millis Athletic and Convocation Center or email them at clubsports@highpoint.edu.
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