Most colleges that offer a women’s soccer team most likely have a men’s team as well.

 
That’s not the story at Wayne State.

 
For the last 19 years, WSC has had a women’s soccer program without having a men’s team. Until recently, Wayne didn’t even have a men’s soccer club. This is shocking to some, since soccer is one of the most popular sports in the world, and the fastest growing sport in the U.S.

 
“In addition to funding and gender equity, in order to sponsor a sport, there needs to be viable competition that exists within your competitive region and conference,” WSC athletic director Mike Powicki said. “Our athletic conference, the NSIC, doesn’t sponsor men’s soccer as a conference sport because only two of the schools sponsor men’s soccer.”

 
If WSC wanted to add men’s soccer as a varsity sport, then Wayne would have to compete as an affiliate member in another conference.

 
“Both of the schools that have men’s soccer in our conference are affiliate members in another league,” Powicki said.

 
Although there aren’t any written policies for getting a new varsity sport, there is important criteria to consider which program the college wants to add. The school has to look at the number of opportunities the sport can provide the college.

 
“You have to make sure that there are the right facilities on campus for the sport to function,” Powicki said. “If there is even an interest at the campus or the community for attendance records.”

 
After the school finds a conference, the NCAA would have to approve of the sport sponsorship and decide if the sport had regional viability for varsity competition.

 
The college would not have to take away money from the other programs already here. If the college believes a new program is a good idea, then it will assist the athletic department in accomplishing the goals and objectives of a new program.

 
“In my experience when the institution explores adding a new program of any kind whether it is athletic, academic or student services, it has not funded that program at the expense of another,” Powicki said. “The potential program gets vetted through a strategic planning process which includes identifying a funding source.”

 
“Adding other varsity athletic programs have been discussed in the past, but soccer hasn’t been in that discussion,” Powicki said. “There are no plans to add a men’s soccer team in the near future.”