PITTSBURG, KS- Soccer is coming to Pitt State. For the first time since 1986, the Gorilla’s will be adding a new women’s sport.

Athletic Director Jim Johnson and University President Dan Shipp were two of many who spoke in front of an excited crowd at the Bicknell Family Center for the Arts. Shipp said he is excited to the program grow along with the university as a whole.

“I think the presence of soccer or other sports begins to be an attractive opportunity for students everywhere,” Shipp said.

“You’d be getting 40-50 women coming to Pitt State who’d be apart of the team, but then you think of the students that would choose to come here because of the presence of soccer, and it all kind of adds up.”

With the addition of a sport played internationally, Pitt State may also see an increase of international student enrollment. Johnson said adding a soccer program could allow Pitt State the opportunity.

“We haven’t done a lot of international recruiting because many of our sports don’t lend themselves to it, but this could change,” said Johnson.

“We look at this as an opportunity to grow our international student population across campus, but certainly too in athletics just by the nature of the sport.”

Johnson and Shipp both said recruiting for the team will be fully underway shortly, and the inaugural season will be in 2024.