4/4/07 Division B poll is out!

[Sonny]

Until all nine conferences adopt consistent, stringent guidelines for admitting new teams - problems across the board will linger.

Some conferences continue to admit teams that are not ready for the MCLA. Many conferences are facing countless new teams that want admitance for 2007-2008 while still having significant issues with some of the bottom-feeder teams.

Pay me 100K, I will have the MCLA straighten up in no time.

[Danny Hogan]

i will get crucified for this but i dont' see the need for division b. The top 25 in div A routinely has smaller schools that "made it happen" scattered from top to bottom.

with all the other factors facing MCLA teams (varying degrees of university support, (non)existance of regional HS teams, availibility of competent coaching canidates), school size doesn't have as much of an impact on program success as it does at the NCAA level.

in many cases it is a lot easier for smaller schools to secure funds and university-wide recognition because some of the teams are run through the athletic department rather than the rec sports department.

[Hi-Line Lax]

No need for Div B?

The only people that think Div B is a developmental league are people from Div A. In my opinion, San Diego and Claremont had no need to move up... but I guess that's how things work in the WCLL (now with no top 25 representation in B). The B Division is only in its 3rd season of national competition, we need to give it some time. If the top teams keep moving to A every year how does the league become "legitimate," and who sets the bar?

[cjwilhelmi]

Before everyone goes off and crucifies Danny, he does have some pretty good reasoning if he would put it all out in the open.

I will disagree with Hi-Line Lax and say that there are equal numbers in both A and B that see that B is a developmental league and not a league for small teams.

Danny is right that there are a number of schools with small enrollment that have done very well in division A.

As long as we have conferences admitting new teams and pretty much everyone (as sonny indicated) into Div B it will be seen, and run nationally, as a developmental league. Only when the national body dictates that teams that are A be placed in A, regardless of how good they are, will B cease to exist as just a developmental league.

If you want to see change, the message boards are not the place for this. You must petition your governing conference to bring it to national, or show up for some of their open meetings and make your case there. Until someone is willing to do this, then nothing is going to change.

[Gross]

There are a lot of points that Corbin has brought up that make sense to me regarding beginning teams that should be A starting out in B and the B division, as a whole, therefore having the stigma of being a "developmental" division (which, for the record, I disagree with). If we continue to push the top teams from the B division to jump to A every year or few years, how will this help rid the image of a "developmental" division? It would seem to me that if the best teams continue to leave B for A, this would support this rather than help to rid it.

[Danny Hogan]

let me also add the post script that i completely appreciate div b and all of it's teams and hard work put into legitimize each division...just my personal opinion take it or leave it.


Perhaps i didn't commicate my thoughts as well as i would have liked to..(thus the edit to this post)

Only when the national body dictates that teams that are A be placed in A, regardless of how good they are, will B cease to exist as just a developmental league.

i also support cj's point here, somewhat like highschool lacrosse is divided into public and private in many areas of the country. if we are using school size to dictate and don't want B to have a subconcious stigma attached to it (by some) then all the small schools need to play in the small schools league, though i don't think anyone wants to force anyone anywhere (rightfully so) and we are left with what we have right now.

[AflacLax]

San Diego > than 7000 students. Man, I wish they were back in B. Claremont is much larger, I think, so I have no problem with them moving up (and they are fitting in just great with A).

[Maple Leaf]

No need for Div B?

The only people that think Div B is a developmental league are people from Div A. In my opinion, San Diego and Claremont had no need to move up... but I guess that's how things work in the WCLL (now with no top 25 representation in B). The B Division is only in its 3rd season of national competition, we need to give it some time. If the top teams keep moving to A every year how does the league become "legitimate," and who sets the bar?

Just curious how can you say San Diego and Claremont had no need to move up. If you look at the makeup of the WCLL, all of the other teams in San Diego's athletic conference are in the A division (St. Mary's and Santa Clara) and for that matter Gonzaga in the PNCLL. The question that i think is more relevant is why are schools like montana in the B division. If, like you suggest, this is not to be considered a developmental league then why would a school with such a large enrollment be competing against much smaller schools. The only reason i can see would be due to the skill level, which suggests that teams capable of playing at the highest level, should do so.

I don't beleive blowing teams out by 10+ goals all season long, and then going to the national championship adds legitimacy to the league. The WCLL may not have any top 25 teams right now (although i think the voters have that wrong) the league has been competitive for the first time in many years. San Diego and Claremont did not play any league games with goal differentials of less than 10, other than agasint each other. Now there is a three way tie at the top, and nobody knew who was going to make the playoffs. You tell me which is better for the league and the development of the game?

San Diego > than 7000 students. Man, I wish they were back in B. Claremont is much larger, I think, so I have no problem with them moving up (and they are fitting in just great with A).

Just a point of clarification, claremont is much much smaller than San Diego.

[lil lady lax fan]

I have to agree with Maple Leaf, San Diego and Claremont moving up to Div. A was the best thing for the B division in the WCLL. With more competition in the race for the league championship will come better teams. I also noticed that many of the B division teams were able to schedule games against A division teams in their areas, something that both Claremont and San Diego were having a tough time arranging because of their level of play.

There are some good teams, both well-established in the league (Irvine and Pepperdine) and new and upcoming teams (like Santa Cruz and Fullerton), who will be upping the ante in the B Division in the next year or two. It would not surprise me if we see one or two teams in the top 25 next year. Consider this a building year for the WCLL.


Another point to add, Claremont is Div. III in football, I believe San Diego is Div. 1AA.

[AflacLax]

What is the enrollment (undergrad and graduate) at Claremont? I guessed Claremont would be large since it is multiple colleges.