In 2002, Florida Gulf Coast University established its athletic program, with the goal of competing in NCAA Division II athletics. The university’s first athletic director, Carl McAloose, was hired to oversee the development of the program. The initial sports offered were men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, softball, men’s and women’s tennis, and men’s and women’s cross country. Since then, the athletic program has expanded and now includes 15 intercollegiate sports, including men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s golf, volleyball, and beach volleyball. In 2011, the university’s athletic program began transitioning to Division I athletics and became a full member of the NCAA Division I in 2017.