PEOSTA, Iowa (KCRG) – Five new sports teams are being added as part of an expansion of Northeast Iowa Community College’s athletic program, college administrators announced Friday.

The college’s growing sports offerings will be expanded to include baseball, softball, dance and cross country teams for men and women.

The college said the decision to add more sports teams came after a study showed that more sports opportunities would help attract more students, including students from outside the district.

The college hired athletic director Nick Weinmeister last spring to create a plan for the expansion.

“We are not only adding more sports to the athletics department, but we are also improving and expanding our current shooting and esports teams,” Weinmeister said in a press release. “As we introduce new athletic programs, I wanted to find programs that would best meet the needs of the students and encourage prospective students who might consider NICC because of the athletic opportunities. Right now, I am working with coaches and community colleges in northeast Iowa and surrounding states. I want to make sure we have the support of the community. It’s an exciting time at NICC. We are expanding athletics and have also introduced our new mascot, Chase the Cougar.”

Part of the strategy is to add sports that accommodate larger groups of participants and thus benefit a large number of students, the college said.

Baseball and softball include 20 or more students at the Peosta campus, while cross country, offered at both campuses, accommodates 12 to 20 students. Dance, also offered at both campuses, accommodates 8 to 20 students.

Competition in these new athletics programs is scheduled to begin in August 2025.

Further information can be found here.

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