Grand Valley State is adding women’s lacrosse as a varsity sport beginning with the 2012 season.

The addition brings the school’s varsity sports offerings to 20, including 11 for women and nine for men. Grand Valley State Athletics Director Tim Selgo said he wants to have a head women’s lacrosse coach hired by January.

“Lacrosse is one of the fastest-growing and most popular sports in the Midwest, and we want to be a leader in our region in Division II women’s lacrosse,” Selgo said. “Our intent is to make the commitment so that in time women’s lacrosse can compete on the national stage in Division II like our other sports.”

The program will spend the 2010-11 academic year recruiting and building a squad in preparation for the 2012 spring playing season. The Lakers will compete as a Division II independent in women’s lacrosse, at least initially.

Grand Valley State will be the first Division II school in Michigan to offer a varsity women’s lacrosse program (Division I Detroit and Division III Adrian are the only other Michigan schools that offer the sport). Currently, 55 Division II schools sponsor women’s lacrosse.

It’s the first expansion at Grand Valley State since the school added women’s soccer in 1996.