ST. LEO – The Saint Leo University Lions will number close to 600 this year as student-athletes take to the fields, courts and track.
The university is relaunching men’s and women’s track and field as a varsity sport. The program will be phased in with 30 student-athletes being welcomed this fall. In 2026, an additional 30 student-athletes should join the teams, and by the third year, there should be a total of 80 competitors.
As part of this relaunch, the university is making a significant investment in its athletic facilities. A new eight-lane, 400-meter track is under construction, to not only support Saint Leo, but also to provide the university with the ability to host local high school and collegiate track meets. Construction should be completed in fall 2025.
The new track and field teams will compete in six categories: sprints, jumps, hurdles, throws, multi and distance.
Saint Leo also is welcoming a new sport as women’s flag football joins its intercollegiate athletic programs, and the team will begin this fall as a club sport housed under the Athletics Department.
Coach Eli Taliaferro has been actively recruiting since April, reaching out to high schools across the region, and there will be tryouts for the team this fall.
The focus for the fall will be on skill development, training and team building. Competition will begin in the spring semester. Saint Leo’s flag football team will compete against other collegiate and club teams in the region and plans to participate in the Women’s College Flag Football League, which brings together teams from across Florida for structured competition.
Students, faculty, and staff can celebrate the Saint Leo University Lions at an event in the spring when the athletics department and partners host an all-campus spirit event, Lions Fest.
On the web: https://saintleolions.com
