RADFORD, Va. – Radford University is set to restructure its athletics program in a move officials say will align resources with growing sports and expand opportunities for student-athletes, the school announced Monday.
The plan, pending approval by the university’s Board of Visitors during its June 5-6 meetings, includes launching men’s indoor and outdoor track and field as NCAA Division I programs, introducing women’s flag football as a club sport, and discontinuing both the men’s and women’s intercollegiate tennis programs.
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“As college athletics evolves, the costs of scholarships, dedicated facilities, travel expenses and overall operating budgets continue to escalate,” said Robert Lineburg, Radford’s director of athletics. “In this environment, the allocation of resources requires greater strategic focus.”
If approved, the changes will take effect immediately.
The university said the new men’s track and field programs will be distance-focused and initially draw from athletes on the men’s cross country roster. The teams would begin competing in the 2025–26 academic year and participate in Big South Conference championships. Radford is currently the only Big South member without a men’s track and field program.
Women’s flag football, which is gaining national and international momentum, will begin as a club sport this fall with aspirations to become a varsity program. The NCAA recently recommended classifying the sport as an Emerging Sport for Women, and it is slated for inclusion in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
“This strategic realignment allows us to serve more student-athletes and better leverage our existing personnel and facilities,” Lineburg said. “By adding men’s track and women’s flag football, we are meeting the needs and interests of a broader student-athlete population.”
The university’s decision to end the tennis programs follows a comprehensive review of their competitiveness and sustainability.
“We made the difficult decision to discontinue our tennis program following a thoughtful analysis and with a heavy heart,” Lineburg said. “Our tennis student-athletes have admirably represented Radford University since 1974.”
Scholarship commitments to tennis athletes will be honored for those who choose to remain at the university. Those who opt to transfer will receive support from coaching and university staff during the transition.
The men’s tennis program currently has no head coach under contract. The women’s coach, Grace Reed, a Radford alumna, will remain employed through the end of her contract to assist student-athletes.
Radford last restructured its athletics program in 2014, when it discontinued four sports and added women’s lacrosse, which began competition in 2016. University officials said no further changes are planned at this time.