Bucknell University Athletics
John Hardt Appointed to NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Committee
5/20/2014 10:09:00 AM | General
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Bucknell director of athletics and recreation John Hardt will become a member of the NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Committee starting in September 2014. His four-year appointment will run through September 2018, and it continues a robust portfolio of NCAA governance service for Hardt, who is now in his 14th year as AD at Bucknell.
“I am extremely excited and honored to be joining the NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Committee,” said Hardt. “Lacrosse is one of the fastest-growing sports in the country, as evidenced by the recent influx of new Division I programs and the NCAA Tournament expanding to 18 teams this spring. I am eager to represent Bucknell and the Patriot League in helping to shape the future of this great sport.”
As a native Midwesterner who played football and graduated from the University of Iowa, Hardt's passion for the sport of lacrosse was rooted during his four-year professional stint as an athletics administrator at Syracuse, where he worked closely with the Orange's nationally dominant lacrosse program. The Orange won two national championships during Hardt's tenure in Syracuse. At that time he was also an active liaison with the Div. 1 Men's Lacrosse Coaches Association.
During Hardt's 14 years at Bucknell, he has seen the Bison men's lacrosse program develop into an annual top-20 team and Patriot League title contender. The team is 68-26 in league play since 2001 and has made a pair of NCAA appearances during that period. In 2011, the Bison locked up with Virginia in a classic NCAA Tournament game, with the Cavaliers prevailing 13-12 in overtime en route to a national title.
Hardt has also served as the Patriot League's designated administrative liaison to the men's lacrosse coaches for several years during his tenure at Bucknell, and he has actively consulted and advised several NCAA Division 1 schools as they planned to launch brand new varsity lacrosse programs.
Hardt is not the first Bucknell representative on the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Committee. Deputy Athletic Director Tim Pavlechko served on the committee from 2006-10, including a two-year stint as chairman.
