Teams Going Varsity

by **UofMLaxGoalie11** on Sat May 26, 2007 1:01 pm

I hope this will be like the east coast discussion; educational, not combative. As several of the MCLA teams improve, what is the eventual goal for them? Will they hope to eventually go varsity? Will the MCLA eventually become a league of teams at the same caliber as varsity teams, but still remain seperate? It seems to be a similar situation to teams moving from B to A. Just looking for an idea of the future of the MCLA years down the road.

**Sponsor**

by **buffalowill** on Fri Jun 08, 2007 1:45 pm

I think the goal of most teams is to improve their level of play AND their recognition and support form the university. I do think many of the teams have aspirations of becoming a varsity program...what effect this will have on the MCLA once teams start joining the NCAA is not known. Will their clubs still be allowed in the MCLA?
Regardless, I foresee (not in the immediate future) NCAA Div. II and III institutions adding lacrosse in way greater numbers than the Div. I programs. That ultimately leads to a MCLA composed of mostly larger schools (NCAA BCS conferences, etc.) with a high caliber of play. Did any of that make sense?

Anyways, compiled my own list of Institutions officially adding MEN'S LAX in the upcoming years:

NCAA Div.I
University of Detroit-Mercy, 2009
Jacksonville University, 2009-10

NCAA Div. II
Grand Canyon University (AZ), 2009
Dominican University (CA), 2009
Lake Erie College, club 2009, NCAA 2010, currently D III in the process of exploratory year to reclassify to D II status
Florida Southern, 2009
Chestnut Hill College (PA), 2010

NCAA Div. III
Anna Maria College (MA), 2009
Randolph (Virginia), 2009
Birmingham-Southern College (Alabama), 2009
Gwynedd-Mercy College (PA), ?? Listing for men's coach on laxpower
Carthage College (WI), 2009
Otterbein College (OH), 2009-10

by **NKlaxguy** on Fri Jun 08, 2007 2:10 pm

I think the Blue Hose of Presbyterian College are in for some trouble. I assume they will be independent, can't see what conference would take them since the Big South obviously does not have lacrosse. Not gonna be easy to convince teams to come to Clinton, SC just to steamroll to a 20-2 victory. Probably will maintain a schedule consisting of a good amount of D2 teams for some time. Maybe the GWLL is a possibility but if the travel costs of that conference contributed to the downfall of Butlers program I doubt PC's newly D1 athletic department would be able to maintain membership. Will be interesting to see how the athletic department handles that program in the coming years, with what I am sure is a rejuvenated new focus on Basketball and Football to try and bring in some next level revenue into that program.

by **Sonny** on Fri Jun 08, 2007 2:12 pm

NCAA Div.I
University of Detroit-Mercy, 2008-9

Where has UDM announced public plans to field a D1 team in 08-09?

by **buffalowill** on Fri Jun 08, 2007 2:26 pm

http://www.udmercy.edu/www.udmercy.edu/ ... -02-08.htm

campus improvements.

by **Brent Burns** on Fri Jun 08, 2007 2:29 pm

From the University of Detroit Mercy's "Town Hall Meeting Update, Feb. 8, 2007" (look for "Campus improvements are currently under way:"-

"Plans are still in place to install the multi-purpose athletic field on the McNichols Campus this summer. During the 2007-08 year we will recruit athletes for lacrosse so that we can field men's and women's teams the following year."

President Stockhausen, University of Detroit Mercy, Town Hall Meeting Update, Feb. 8, 2007

by **Sonny** on Fri Jun 08, 2007 2:31 pm

Plans are still in place to install the multi-purpose athletic field on the McNichols Campus this summer. During the 2007-08 year we will recruit athletes for lacrosse so that we can field men's and women's teams the following year.

Where does that mean D1 lacrosse (or even NCAA Varsity lacrosse)?

by **Brent Burns** on Fri Jun 08, 2007 2:46 pm

Sonny wrote:
Plans are still in place to install the multi-purpose athletic field on the McNichols Campus this summer. During the 2007-08 year we will recruit athletes for lacrosse so that we can field men's and women's teams the following year.

Where does that mean D1 lacrosse (or even NCAA Varsity lacrosse)?

That is really a very good question because I checked the UDM website and found no official lacrosse head coach positions. Through Google, there is really no official announcement I could find from UDM except this one that I just found.

by **Campbell** on Fri Jun 08, 2007 3:50 pm

Is there a real benefit for a college to want their lacrosse team to be NCAA? I mean other than exposure, I don't really know too much about the NCAA and why a college would want to go that route, as opposed to making a lacrosse program varsity and competing in the MCLA. I look at a team like Michigan, that appears to get a lot of support from their school but, from what I can tell, is largely self supported. This kind of seems like an ideal situation for a university as it doesn't seem like they would be too invested in a program, could avoid title IX, and still get national exposure playing similar schools around the country. I have heard talk that this is what NCAA coaches fear, and why, to some degree, the MCLA does not admit teams in the league from schools with NCAA programs.

So, I wonder, as the MCLA gains more and more recognition and legitimacy (shedding the idea that it is just "club lacrosse") will schools lean toward staying in the MCLA or moving onto the NCAA. It seems as lacrosse grows more and more that schools are going to take a more seriously look at having a varsity program. On the surface I think a lot of teams look at going into the NCAA as an ultimate goal, or dream, but I wonder what teams like Michigan and Lindenwood see as the goal of their program. Other than the "prestige" of competing against the Hopkins and Dukes of the NCAA is their really need for MCLA teams to go that route?

by **Madlax16** on Fri Jun 08, 2007 3:50 pm

buffalowill wrote:
NCAA Div.I
Presbyterian College (SC), 2008 (first year at Div. I level)

Presbyterian is planning to go D1?!?! They are ALREADY getting steam rolled by most of the teams in the CVAC and Deep South conference...not to mention some of the upper tier teams in the selc. Sounds like the worst discission they could make for their school. Its a beautiful campus, but thats not enough to draw kids there to compete on a level among robert morris and VMI.

by **Zeuslax** on Fri Jun 08, 2007 4:14 pm

Not gonna be easy to convince teams to come to Clinton, SC just to steamroll to a 20-2 victory.

Not true.....many teams are looking for competition in the south. The weather alone is the only incentive/advantage they need to entice teams to come. Lacrosse is dominated by cold climate teams that are looking to add flexibility to their schedules.

by **KnoxVegas** on Fri Jun 08, 2007 6:50 pm

Sonny wrote:
Plans are still in place to install the multi-purpose athletic field on the McNichols Campus this summer. During the 2007-08 year we will recruit athletes for lacrosse so that we can field men's and women's teams the following year.

Where does that mean D1 lacrosse (or even NCAA Varsity lacrosse)?

Wikipedia.

by **NKlaxguy** on Fri Jun 08, 2007 8:50 pm

Zeuslax wrote:
Not gonna be easy to convince teams to come to Clinton, SC just to steamroll to a 20-2 victory.

Not true.....many teams are looking for competition in the south. The weather alone is the only incentive/advantage they need to entice teams to come. Lacrosse is dominated by cold climate teams that are looking to add flexibility to their schedules.

We'll talk when their schedule is released

by **NKlaxguy** on Fri Jun 08, 2007 8:59 pm

Campbell wrote:Is there a real benefit for a college to want their lacrosse team to be NCAA? I mean other than exposure, I don't really know too much about the NCAA and why a college would want to go that route, as opposed to making a lacrosse program varsity and competing in the MCLA.

ESPN will never broadcast a club event. We need more NCAA teams in larger markets (bcs schools) so the sport can have more opportunities to be on tv, increasing exposure, and advancing the overall growth of the sport. The Club label will always be a stigma, no matter how you look at it, it's a scarlet letter in many people eyes. An unwarranted scarlet letter, but one that will always keep some people away, whether its the media, high school recruits, NCAA coaches, and so on.

Also I am sure it would be nice to not have to pay dues.

by **Ryan Jackson** on Fri Jun 08, 2007 9:20 pm

Campbell wrote:Is there a real benefit for a college to want their lacrosse team to be NCAA? I mean other than exposure, I don't really know too much about the NCAA and why a college would want to go that route, as opposed to making a lacrosse program varsity and competing in the MCLA.

I agree with you that going varsity wouldn't benefit a Michigan or Lindenwood because their programs are already top-notch and self sufficient. The benefit of going to NCAA lies at the DIII and DII level. Look at Adrian College who will be DIII next year--It's a very small school (1000) looking to boost up their enrollment, so they add M/W varisty Lacrosse, W Field Hockey, M/W Ice Hockey, and Synch-Skating all at once and suddenly they have an additional 150 students that normally wouldn't attend Adrian. That's a 15% increase in enrollment that they wouldn't have by staying club.

Another thing that will be interesting to watch is how traditional athletic conferences will be affected by more schools going NCAA in lacrosse. Schools in certain conferences have special rivalries. What if a 3rd or 4th school in the Big 10 went varsity??? Would others be inclined to join them? With Adrian and Tri-State (MIAA) going varsity, I wouldn't be surprised to see Calvin and Hope College disappear from the MCLA. Just a thought.