Iona University Announces Addition of Women's Golf Program
NEW ROCHELLE, NY - Iona University president Seamus Carey, Ph.D., and director of athletics Matthew Glovaski announced the addition of women's golf as its 24th intercollegiate athletic program offering. Iona will immediately open a search for a head coach and aim to begin competition in the 2025-26 academic year.
"We are thrilled to announce the addition of women's golf at Iona University. I want to thank our tremendous partners both on campus and in the community who have made this possible. We are fortunate to have relationships with some of the top golf courses in the region, where our students will be able to develop and excel in the sport," Carey said. "We look forward to welcoming outstanding golfers to play for Iona."
"We're excited to welcome women's golf into our varsity program offerings," said Glovaski. "I am proud to be a part of the institution's ongoing investment in providing opportunities for our students and athletes. We eagerly anticipate the positive impact and achievements this addition will bring to our University."
The addition of the program continues Iona's growing investment in the student experience and is made possible in part by the University's partnership with three distinguished local clubs in Westchester County including Siwanoy Country Club in Bronxville, Saint Andrews Golf Club in Hastings-On-Hudson, and Wykagyl Country Club in New Rochelle. Iona also looks to take advantage of its Bronxville campus to provide practice facility infrastructure for both its men's and women's golf teams as the program expands.
Siwanoy Country Club, located in Bronxville, is in close proximity to both of Iona's Westchester campuses.
Iona women's golf will compete in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference which is currently comprised of nine schools including full-time MAAC members Fairfield, Mount St. Mary's, Niagara, Quinnipiac and Siena and associate members Albany, Dayton, La Salle, and Loyola Chicago. The league has been holding championships since 2001 with the winning team earning an automatic bid into the NCAA Championships since 2012.
"We are excited that Iona University is adding women's golf to its athletic program," said MAAC Commissioner Travis Tellitocci. "This addition not only expands opportunities for female student-athletes but also enhances the Conference's overall sports sponsorship portfolio among its core member institutions. The ongoing commitment of our core members to elevate the Conference's sports offerings remains instrumental in strengthening the MAAC."
Iona's inaugural Director of Men's and Women's Golf, Sean Burke
Head men's golf coach and Senior Associate AD/Internal Affairs Sean Burke will become director of men's and women's golf at Iona and will have oversight of both programs. The Gaels will hire a head coach for the women's team and begin recruiting student-athletes for next year.
The women's golf program becomes the 24th varsity athletics program following the announcement of the addition of women's acrobatics and tumbling and men's lacrosse prior to the 2022-23 academic year. The acrobatics and tumbling program competed in its first season this spring culminating in an individual event representation at the NCATA National Championships. Men's lacrosse will compete in its inaugural campaign next Spring 2025.
The news builds upon the momentum at Iona, which continues to expand opportunities for students both inside and outside of the classroom. Notably, Iona's acquisition of a new 28-acre campus in Bronxville, N.Y., has nearly doubled the University's footprint, providing additional field space and performance venues for students to pursue their passions and develop meaningful relationships around shared interests. In addition to its DI Athletics program, Iona offers 13 club sports teams, including a championship e-sports team, as well as a thriving performing arts program and a wide range of community service opportunities.
A school on the rise, The Princeton Review included Iona in its 2024 "Best 389 Colleges" nationwide. In addition, The Wall Street Journal ranked Iona as the #66 Best College in America, including the #8 best Catholic college in the nation and #1 for student experience in New York. Iona also tied Yale as the #4 most recommended college in the Northeast by students in the 2024 WSJ rankings.
ABOUT IONA
Founded in 1940, Iona University is a master's-granting private, Catholic, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers. Iona's 45-acre New Rochelle campus and 28-acre Bronxville campus are just 20 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. With a total enrollment of nearly 4,000 students and an alumni base of more than 50,000 around the world, Iona is a diverse community of learners and scholars dedicated to academic excellence and the values of justice, peace and service. Iona is highly accredited, offering undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, science and business administration, as well as Master of Arts, Master of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees and numerous advanced certificate programs. Iona students enjoy small class sizes, engaged professors and a wide array of academic programs across the School of Arts & Science; LaPenta School of Business; NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences; and Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Iona is widely recognized in prestigious rankings, including The Princeton Review’s 2024 national list of “The Best 389 Colleges” and The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse’s “2024 Best Colleges in America,” which ranked Iona at #66 in the nation overall and #8 in the nation among Catholic schools. Iona’s LaPenta School of Business is also accredited by AACSB International, a recognition awarded to just six percent of business schools worldwide. In addition, The Princeton Review recognized Iona’s on-campus MBA program as a “Best Business School for 2023.” Iona also offers a fully online MBA program for even greater flexibility. In July 2021, Iona announced the establishment of the NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences, which is now principally located on Iona’s Bronxville campus in collaboration with NewYork-Presbyterian. Connecting to its Irish heritage, the University also recently announced it is expanding abroad with a new campus in County Mayo, Ireland. A school on the rise, Iona officially changed its status from College to University on July 1, 2022, reflecting the growth of its academic programs and the prestige of an Iona education.