Molloy University will be adding sprint football as its 23rd intercollegiate athletic program, playing its inaugural season in the Fall of 2024. The Lions will compete as the newest member of the Collegiate Sprint Football League (CSFL).
"We are very excited to bring football to Molloy University and join the Collegiate Sprint Football league with its long history and outstanding list of member institutions," said Molloy University President James P. Lentini, D.M.A. "Molloy is fortunate to have a thriving body of successful student-athletes, and sprint football is a positive addition that will enhance the campus experience for the entire University."
Sprint football is a full-contact sport with the same rules as traditional college football with the exception that all players must weigh 178.0 pounds or less. The CSFL is one of the premiere conferences in the nation for sprint football, celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2024, and consists of institutions that emphasize both athletic and academic excellence.
Molloy will be the ninth team joining the league and will be competing against legendary programs including Army West Point, Cornell University, U.S. Naval Academy, and the University of Pennsylvania. The Lions will represent the only sprint football opportunity in the Long Island region, opening the door for more high school students to continue their football careers at the collegiate level.
"The CSFL is excited to welcome Molloy University as our newest member," said Dan Mara, CSFL Commissioner. Molloy's long history of academic and athletic excellence makes it a perfect addition to the league. Sprint football brings and exciting sport to Nassau County for both spectators and future student-athletes."
Molloy has hired Brian Hughes, a mainstay in the Long Island football community with an accomplished career that spans over 40 years, to lead the Lions as the program's head coach.
"I am honored to be the inaugural coach of this new program," said Hughes. "This is a brand-new concept coming to Long Island, this is a new situation for me as a head coach, and the support and enthusiasm from the Molloy community makes it all the more special. I am beyond excited to get to work building this program on the foundation of the Molloy University mission."
Most recently, Hughes helped lead the LIU Post Pioneers to seven Northeast-10 Conference Championships and qualified for six NCAA Tournaments. His programs were consistently among the top of Division II on both sides of the football and those under his tutelage earned multiple awards both on and off the field, on the conference and national levels. Hughes has been the recipient of a multitude of awards, including being named the Division II Assistant Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association.
"I look forward to the excitement that sprint football will create for our University and our community," said Director of Athletics Susan Cassidy-Lyke. "The opportunity to compete against institutions that set the bar high academically and athletically is of the upmost importance to us, and the CSFL is the perfect fit. Our student-athletes have always been successful and I am confident that Coach Hughes will share these expectations for his future student-athletes."