ACU to add JV programs in 2003-04

Teams to be added in football, baseball and basketball

ABILENE -- Abilene Christian University will add junior varsity programs in four sports beginning with the 2003-04 school year, ACU director of athletics Shanon Hays said Friday.

JV programs will be added in football, men's and women's basketball and baseball.

"This will be a great tool for us to use to attract students who previously might not have considered ACU as an educational option," Hays said. "We think it will be a great benefit to not only the athletics program but the entire university for many years to come

"Adding this program is going to give us more opportunities to develop our players in-house," he said. "We really feel like this is going to be a huge benefit for all four of those programs."

Assistant baseball coach Brandon Stover -- who completed his record-setting career last May -- is slated to serve as the junior varsity baseball coach. Head football coach Gary Gaines hasn't decided who on his staff will serve as the JV football coach, and Hays said graduate assistant coaches would serve as the men's and women's junior varsity basketball head coaches.

Hays said that while no dates have been set, the football team will probably play, among others, the Hardin-Simmons University JV, Cisco Junior College and Ranger College. The basketball and baseball teams will also play area four-year university junior varsity teams, as well as area junior college squads.