Florida Poly names first athletic director as new sports program prepares to launch

Florida Polytechnic University has named its first athletic director as the university moves closer to launching collegiate athletics for the first time in school history.

Derek Lower will lead the new program as Florida Poly prepares to begin competition this fall with eight sports, including baseball, softball, men’s and women’s soccer, cross-country and basketball.

Derek Lower

The move marks a major shift for the Lakeland campus, which has built its identity around science, technology, engineering and math since opening but is now adding a traditional college sports element to student life.

Lower is not new to the university. He joined Florida Poly in 2017 and helped build its campus recreation program, overseeing club sports, intramurals, fitness programs and recreational facilities before being tapped for the athletic director role.

He said the opportunity is unusual because few public universities are created from the ground up in modern times, making the launch of a brand-new athletics department especially rare.

Florida Poly leaders say hiring coaches and recruiting athletes is already underway.

University officials also say the goal is to attract students who want both a rigorous STEM education and the chance to compete at the collegiate level.

Florida Poly has increasingly promoted its academic rankings and workforce outcomes as part of that pitch, with administrators arguing that student-athletes there will need to balance demanding coursework with the discipline required in competition.

The athletics program is expected to become a new piece of campus identity as the university continues expanding beyond its original academic-only model.

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