State of NAIA lacrosse

[LaxCoach13]

Having seen another NAIA school loose their coach after only 1 year made we start to wonder what is the state of the game in the NAIA. Now don't get me wrong, I feel that Lacrosse at the NAIA level can be very good and there are some very good teams. But, overall where are we, I look at rosters and a lot of schools barly have enough to play. it appears that MoValley, Clarke, Morningside,are hanging on, we just lost Cleary are there other programs just hanging on? The KCAC or Heart of America seems to be the conference(s) really in trouble. Last year they starteed the year with 11 schools, Movalley and Morningside never played, Midland, Clarke, St Mary's all very short handed.
Are there any schools looking to add programs, the Sun as two new programs this year (Warner and St Thomas) any word on how they are doing. KCAC is adding UPHS which should be interesting.
Do people care? post on here usually get on replies so we will see

[LaxCoach13]

what is the Mid South doing? they lost half their conference, looks like they are down to 3 schools?

[crumudgeon2]

Do you have a source for the Mid-South changes? I haven't seen anything on that. The Mid-South Conference in 2022 was extremely loaded, with 3 of the top 7 teams in the entire NAIA. Interestingly, Ave Maria, also in that conference, with a sub 500 record, had enough votes to be the first also mentioned team after the top ten, making them a de facto #11. How many NAIA teams are there? 60+? Having 3 of the top seven in one conference makes it very tough on schools like Ave with 1,500 students competing against an established school like Keiser, with 17,000 students and a much larger war chest. In the end, I thinks there is hope for the NAIA because of the scholarship money available, which can be better than comparable NCAA schools.

RANK LAST TIME SCHOOL [FIRST-PLACE VOTES] RECORD POINTS
1 5 Benedictine (Kan.) [7] 16-1 82
2 1 Lawrence Tech (Mich.) 17-1 77
3 4 Reinhardt (Ga.) 15-3 72
4 5 SCAD Savannah (Ga.) 13-5 67
5 2 Keiser (Fla.) 15-4 62
6 3 Cumberlands (Ky.) 18-3 57
7 7 Life (Ga.) 15-6 52
8 8 Siena Heights (Mich.) 10-9 47
9 9 Missouri Baptist 10-4 42
10 10 St. Ambrose (Iowa) 12-4 37

Dropped from the Poll: None
Receiving Votes: Ave Maria (Fla.) 32, Georgetown (Ky.) 27, Aquinas (Mich.) 22, St. Andrews (Mich.) 11, Indiana Tech 9, Ottawa (Kan.) 9

https://www.naia.org/sports/wlax/2021-2 ... n_National

[LaxCoach13]

Do you have a source for the Mid-South changes? I haven't seen anything on that. The Mid-South Conference in 2022 was extremely loaded, with 3 of the top 7 teams in the entire NAIA. Interestingly, Ave Maria, also in that conference, with a sub 500 record, had enough votes to be the first also mentioned team after the top ten, making them a de facto #11. How many NAIA teams are there? 60+? Having 3 of the top seven in one conference makes it very tough on schools like Ave with 1,500 students competing against an established school like Keiser, with 17,000 students and a much larger war chest. In the end, I thinks there is hope for the NAIA because of the scholarship money available, which can be better than comparable NCAA schools.

RANK LAST TIME SCHOOL [FIRST-PLACE VOTES] RECORD POINTS
1 5 Benedictine (Kan.) [7] 16-1 82
2 1 Lawrence Tech (Mich.) 17-1 77
3 4 Reinhardt (Ga.) 15-3 72
4 5 SCAD Savannah (Ga.) 13-5 67
5 2 Keiser (Fla.) 15-4 62
6 3 Cumberlands (Ky.) 18-3 57
7 7 Life (Ga.) 15-6 52
8 8 Siena Heights (Mich.) 10-9 47
9 9 Missouri Baptist 10-4 42
10 10 St. Ambrose (Iowa) 12-4 37

Dropped from the Poll: None
Receiving Votes: Ave Maria (Fla.) 32, Georgetown (Ky.) 27, Aquinas (Mich.) 22, St. Andrews (Mich.) 11, Indiana Tech 9, Ottawa (Kan.) 9

The Sun Conference has announced they are sponsoring Lacrosse, so the Mid South is losing its South Division (Keiser, Life, Webber and Ave Maria) they are also losing Thomas More as they are in transition to NCAA. That leaves the Mid South with 3 schools (Cumberland, Georgetown and Marian.

The KCAC is also breaking up, (St Ambrose, Benedictine, Clarke, Culver Stockton, william penn and MoValley moving to the Heart of America. KCAC will keep MoBap, St Mary, Ottawa, Midland,Morningside and adding UPHS out of St Louis. Now scary part about this is MoValley and Morningside did not play last year, Clarke only had 11 players, Midland and St Mary limped through the year with 12. St Mary's has now lost thier coach and MoValley has been trying to hire one for over a year.

The WHAC just lost Cleary, Rochester seems very low in numbers, so solid 7 with 2 questionable.

AAC lost SCAD to the Sun so they sit at 6.

there is not 60+. try 37 and out of that 37 I would say at least 5 are on shakey ground. There is 3 new programs coming in 2022-23 (UPHS, St Thomas and Warner) I have not heard of anyothers but 3 new is good but they are counted in that 37.
Not Sure if anyone else has heard of anyone adding? So with all that said will Mid South go with 3 schools or try to move to other conferences? Is either the KCAC, AAC, or Heart of America lose one school they lose their AQ.

https://www.naia.org/sports/wlax/2021-2 ... n_National

[crumudgeon2]

No idea what the Mid-South will do but it seems like a reshuffling by the Sun Conference teams rather than elimination of existing teams.

I understand your concern with certain low number teams. Ave was one of those teams often playing with only 11-12 girls. Prior to the season 2 nice players left school for academics, several others have physical issues. The team is young and returns 3 all conference girls, two of them freshman.

[LaxCoach13]

No idea what the Mid-South will do but it seems like a reshuffling by the Sun Conference teams rather than elimination of existing teams.

I understand your concern with certain low number teams. Ave was one of those teams often playing with only 11-12 girls. Prior to the season 2 nice players left school for academics, several others have physical issues. The team is young and returns 3 all conference girls, two of them freshman.

Oh you are right the Sun is solid, but the Mid South seems in trouble and there seems to be no talk about any new programs. KCAC is another conference I would watch with MoValley, Morningside, Clark and St Mary's all in trouble

[LaxCoach13]

So with most schools starting thought I would revisit this. I really like the NAIA level, but it just doesn’t seem stable. It is exciting to see 4 new programs starting this year, Johnson (GA), St Thomas (FL), Warner (FL) and UHSP ( MO). Still some teams without coaches which is scary and some recent changes. Sherman leaves William Penn for Ave Maria, which made sense but did not see that coming, never saw a posting and didn’t they just hire their coach a year ago? Clarke seems is still looking but Mt Mercy ( new program in Iowa next year) has hired their coach. Point lost their coach to Georgetown which from everything I hear was a good move for her. A few schools have made the easy and just promoted asst coaches, it worked for Benedictine so we will see how that plans out. And finally after 2 years SCAD has hired a coach, talk about a intensive search. We have also had some conference juggling, Sun Conference and Heart of America will be new this year, KCAC is cut in half, WHAC picks up Marion (which makes sense) Cumberland and Georgetown move to the AAC, mid south is gone. Still seems to be some programs hanging on by the skin of their teeth. Haven’t heard anything about new programs outside of Mt Mercy if anyone knows anything please share.

[Geo927]

I think unfortunately there is a lot of instability. Part of it is that NAIA schools aren't in the area where prospects tend to typically come from: upstate New York, Long Island, Baltimore, Colorado so there's not a steady flow of semi-local talent available to these schools. Not sure what the answer is, but looking at the growth of lacrosse and assuming that will convey to students specifically arriving on your campus is a mistake. It might, and it might not.

[LaxCoach13]

Looks like Clarke has their new coach, just a name listed as head coach nothing else and no announcement.

[crumudgeon2]

So with most schools starting thought I would revisit this. I really like the NAIA level, but it just doesn’t seem stable. It is exciting to see 4 new programs starting this year, Johnson (GA), St Thomas (FL), Warner (FL) and UHSP ( MO). Still some teams without coaches which is scary and some recent changes. Sherman leaves William Penn for Ave Maria, which made sense but did not see that coming, never saw a posting and didn’t they just hire their coach a year ago? Clarke seems is still looking but Mt Mercy ( new program in Iowa next year) has hired their coach. Point lost their coach to Georgetown which from everything I hear was a good move for her. A few schools have made the easy and just promoted asst coaches, it worked for Benedictine so we will see how that plans out. And finally after 2 years SCAD has hired a coach, talk about a intensive search. We have also had some conference juggling, Sun Conference and Heart of America will be new this year, KCAC is cut in half, WHAC picks up Marion (which makes sense) Cumberland and Georgetown move to the AAC, mid south is gone. Still seems to be some programs hanging on by the skin of their teeth. Haven’t heard anything about new programs outside of Mt Mercy if anyone knows anything please share.

A lot of musical chairs. I have been more optimistic than you regarding NAIA women's lacrosse, largely because it is the fastest growing women's sport and many NAIA schools are more generous with scholarship money than comparable DIII schools. Sherman is an natural fit at Ave being from Florida and a Ave Alum. The Sun Conference website has no listing for women's lacrosse. I guess they are just slow.

[crumudgeon2]

I think unfortunately there is a lot of instability. Part of it is that NAIA schools aren't in the area where prospects tend to typically come from: upstate New York, Long Island, Baltimore, Colorado so there's not a steady flow of semi-local talent available to these schools. Not sure what the answer is, but looking at the growth of lacrosse and assuming that will convey to students specifically arriving on your campus is a mistake. It might, and it might not.

I am not disagreeing with you. You don't see M&D, Skywalker, TLC or Heros girls in that conference from Maryland. I don't see Yellow Jacket or Monster girls from NY. I do see some great athletes from the south playing in the NAIA and I often think if they grew up in Baltimore and had superior coaching they would be playing DI somewhere.

Its interesting because I saw Cumberland's Kelly Buikus at a Maryland Club tournament last year. In years past, I was surprised to see a couple of TLC girls on SCAD. Also, Keiser, Life and several others are pulling in some nice DI transfers. Kids who sat on a D! bench are now happy to thrive in the NAIA, probably with more scholarship money.

[Geo927]

Agreed - Keiser is doing a great job with transfers and SCAD I think will always have national appeal given its unique set of student-athletes/artists that it recruits. Along with Life/Cumberlands (and I'd say Reinhardt+) they are good solid anchors for the NAIA in the southeast. Obviously the midwest has a very solid rotation at the top and with time and the right-sized expansion things will become more stable.

[shootingspace]

Living in Atlanta area now I got to see some lacrosse. KSU D1 and Life/Reinhardt NAIA games. The interesting thing about the NAIA colleges-schools like Life, SCAD and Keiser have a lot of options for girls academically. I know Life has chiropractic doctorate program and attract D1 and D2 grads and transfers. SCAD has arts and Keiser is at the beach lol. Some good lacrosse in top 6 teams. Sorry to see Life coach leave to Longwood.

[LaxCoach13]

I have heard that some schools have cut their programs can anyone verify:
Point University
Morningside
Eastern oregon
Carbon
also heard that the following are on life support
Clark
Missouri Valley
Brenau
Truett McConnell
St Andrews

What is going on within the NAIA

[Geo927]

Point has unfortunately eliminated its program. Not certain about the others mentioned but Mo Valley hasn't fielded a team in a couple of years; hopefully they will in the spring.

[laxtea69]

Point has unfortunately eliminated its program. Not certain about the others mentioned but Mo Valley hasn't fielded a team in a couple of years; hopefully they will in the spring.

That really sucks that Point eliminated it's program. Sanderson just got hired there after leaving Ave Marie, which sucks that she left a job to just lose her job.

[LaxCoach13]

Point has unfortunately eliminated its program. Not certain about the others mentioned but Mo Valley hasn't fielded a team in a couple of years; hopefully they will in the spring.

That really sucks that Point eliminated it's program. Sanderson just got hired there after leaving Ave Marie, which sucks that she left a job to just lose her job.

yes it does, she did move for family but hope she can stay in the game

[crumudgeon2]

Point has unfortunately eliminated its program. Not certain about the others mentioned but Mo Valley hasn't fielded a team in a couple of years; hopefully they will in the spring.

That really sucks that Point eliminated it's program. Sanderson just got hired there after leaving Ave Marie, which sucks that she left a job to just lose her job.

yes it does, she did move for family but hope she can stay in the game

Yup. Shelby is a great person and I hope she stays in the game.

[LaxCoach13]

Just saw that Montreat lost their coach and has none listed? He took a DII job, TWU, Montreat, Breanu all without coaches, a bunch using intern coaches.

[crumudgeon2]

Sun Coast Rankings out. No surprises

2023 SUN CONFERENCE WOMEN'S LACROSSE PRESEASON COACHES POLL
Pos. Team Points (First Place Votes) 2022 Overall Record
1. Keiser 34 (4) 15-4
2. SCAD-Savannah 33 (3) 12-4
3. Life (Ga.) 25 15-6
4. Ave Maria 18 6-11
5. Webber International 16 6-12
6. St. Thomas 14 -
7. Warner 7 -

https://thesunconference.com/news/2023/ ... hawks.aspx