SAVANNAH, Georgia — The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) to add several new athletic teams to its locations in Savannah and Atlanta, including bowling (Savannah and Atlanta), cycling (Savannah and Atlanta), table tennis (Atlanta) and fishing (Savannah). The addition of these life-long sports to the existing 15 athletic teams in Savannah and six in Atlanta enriches the artist experience and promotes a healthy lifestyle both during college years and beyond.
 
SCAD athletics has developed an outstanding legacy of competitive success by creating a championship mindset among its artist-athletes on the field, in the classroom and throughout the community. Led by knowledgeable and experienced coaches, SCAD artist-athletes possess the winning characteristics of talent, dedication, passion and commitment.
 
"We are excited to be adding these sports to the thriving SCAD athletics program," said Vice President for Student Success Phil Alletto. "These new programs offer athletes the chance to play on a competitive college team at a university where they can also excel in an academically challenging art and design environment."
 
The national search for coaches will begin immediately. SCAD plans to have positions filled by fall, so coaches will have a full academic year to recruit and prepare for team competition in Fall 2016. These four additional sports were specifically selected based on student interest and because they have a somewhat limited competition schedule, which does not require student-athletes to be away from their coursework for extended periods.
 
SCAD Atlanta competes in both men's and women's intercollegiate cross country, golf, tennis, and track and field as a member of the Appalachian Athletic Conference and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. In the four years since the SCAD Atlanta athletics program launched, five of eight teams have participated in post season play.
 
SCAD Savannah men and women compete in intercollegiate cross country, track and field, golf, soccer, swimming, and tennis as a member of the Sun Conference and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. SCAD Savannah athletic teams regularly vie for conference titles and are often nationally ranked among the NAIA's top 25 teams. The equestrian and men's and women's lacrosse teams also compete at the intercollegiate level, and both the equestrian team and women's lacrosse won their respective national championships this past year.
 
As the first art and design university in the United States to offer a comprehensive intercollegiate athletics program, SCAD offers students a well-rounded healthy environment.