Predict The Next Major Universities To Get DI Lax Programs

[ABClaxfan]

Always thrown around, but Boston College might have an opening coming soon. Swim & Dive program made national news last week for a hazing incident. Alums have been pushing for a men's lacrosse program for a while. Wonder if Swim & Dive is cut if men's lacrosse can take their place?

[pcowlax]

Not the way you like to see things go but that is actually a legitimate path to adding.

[Jumbo]

I could see VT or Clemson adding a team. The ACC needs another team

[justanotherperson]

Always a cool topic every year. Agree with everything that's been said

-Costs are an issue as it is expensive to maintain a lax program not to mention to additional cost with whatever women's sport is added. Money and donations are obviously helpful and big donors are far and few between but would help dramatically with those big jumps up the "Chutes and Laddes". Lawrenceville is going to reap benefits from their recent fundraising (as a HS example)

-Title IX more the rate limiting factor for many programs so probably more likely to see D2 continuing to make jumps instead of major uni.

-BC seems to be a no brainer but I doubt that swimming will get axed. Northeastern has great club too. Ga Tech > Georgia at least in club as well as VaTech or Wake. Maybe something like Wisconsin which has 3 club teams I believe?

-As much of a northeast homer that I am, we gots a lot of programs up here already. Geography and travel are hindrances but would love to see programs in the west (CAl, USC, UCLA, Stanford) or central-south (texas, LSU, SMU) start adding to the conversation. Always tough for Marquette, Utah, Lindenwood and Air Force (though the latter should have no problems flying....I'll see myself out.....)

[mdk01]

Always thrown around, but Boston College might have an opening coming soon. Swim & Dive program made national news last week for a hazing incident. Alums have been pushing for a men's lacrosse program for a while. Wonder if Swim & Dive is cut if men's lacrosse can take their place?

I don't think that opens enough slots, so BC would still have a Title IX problem.

[wgdsr]

If College Football does eventually split, I can see tremendous growth. Clemson, SMU are schools to watch.

Next HC's:
- Ryan Wellner
- Kevin Cassese
- Jesse Bernhardt
- Eric Seremet

UGA would be awesome with the growth of the sport in that state.

They’d have to get past Tech in club first.

saw a game recently with 750-1k students in the parking lot overlooking roe stamps. 30-40 band members on the field. great atmosphere for the location, really.

Think they could do well w lacrosse but the Athletics Dept is a disaster and finances suck. Alumni aren’t there to support Athletics in general as much. So even with better gender mix, title IX money requirements to add varsity lacrosse seem at best a generation away. Never say never because there are enough wealthy alums that someone could conceivably anchor fund it but I don’t see it.

don't really care about any team making the jump, just commenting that their club has a pretty good thing going for what it is, building on your comment. student body seems behind it.

[coda]

Always a cool topic every year. Agree with everything that's been said

-Costs are an issue as it is expensive to maintain a lax program not to mention to additional cost with whatever women's sport is added. Money and donations are obviously helpful and big donors are far and few between but would help dramatically with those big jumps up the "Chutes and Laddes". Lawrenceville is going to reap benefits from their recent fundraising (as a HS example)

-Title IX more the rate limiting factor for many programs so probably more likely to see D2 continuing to make jumps instead of major uni.

-BC seems to be a no brainer but I doubt that swimming will get axed. Northeastern has great club too. Ga Tech > Georgia at least in club as well as VaTech or Wake. Maybe something like Wisconsin which has 3 club teams I believe?

-As much of a northeast homer that I am, we gots a lot of programs up here already. Geography and travel are hindrances but would love to see programs in the west (CAl, USC, UCLA, Stanford) or central-south (texas, LSU, SMU) start adding to the conversation. Always tough for Marquette, Utah, Lindenwood and Air Force (though the latter should have no problems flying....I'll see myself out.....)

For the overall good of the sport, I am with you. I would love to see a big University from the south or west add a program. I have heard TCU and SMU have made attempts, but that doesnt quite hit the mark (small schools). Texas would be amazing. Oregon and Washington would be huge. If I had to bet on one of those I would bet on Oregon, because Nike.

[Farfromgeneva]

If College Football does eventually split, I can see tremendous growth. Clemson, SMU are schools to watch.

Next HC's:
- Ryan Wellner
- Kevin Cassese
- Jesse Bernhardt
- Eric Seremet

UGA would be awesome with the growth of the sport in that state.

They’d have to get past Tech in club first.

saw a game recently with 750-1k students in the parking lot overlooking roe stamps. 30-40 band members on the field. great atmosphere for the location, really.

Think they could do well w lacrosse but the Athletics Dept is a disaster and finances suck. Alumni aren’t there to support Athletics in general as much. So even with better gender mix, title IX money requirements to add varsity lacrosse seem at best a generation away. Never say never because there are enough wealthy alums that someone could conceivably anchor fund it but I don’t see it.

don't really care about any team making the jump, just commenting that their club has a pretty good thing going for what it is, building on your comment. student body seems behind it.

It’s a better fit there than UGA. They are supported and well received and pretty competitive. I am no good and played in some adult some leagues with some former Tech club players though and there’s still a massive gap.

[wgdsr]

If College Football does eventually split, I can see tremendous growth. Clemson, SMU are schools to watch.

Next HC's:
- Ryan Wellner
- Kevin Cassese
- Jesse Bernhardt
- Eric Seremet

UGA would be awesome with the growth of the sport in that state.

They’d have to get past Tech in club first.

saw a game recently with 750-1k students in the parking lot overlooking roe stamps. 30-40 band members on the field. great atmosphere for the location, really.

Think they could do well w lacrosse but the Athletics Dept is a disaster and finances suck. Alumni aren’t there to support Athletics in general as much. So even with better gender mix, title IX money requirements to add varsity lacrosse seem at best a generation away. Never say never because there are enough wealthy alums that someone could conceivably anchor fund it but I don’t see it.

don't really care about any team making the jump, just commenting that their club has a pretty good thing going for what it is, building on your comment. student body seems behind it.

It’s a better fit there than UGA. They are supported and well received and pretty competitive. I am no good and played in some adult some leagues with some former Tech club players though and there’s still a massive gap.

yeah, even the best club teams aren't built to be a d1 substitute or proxy. they would be different teams.

[Big Dog]

As always, you folks are dreaming. No chance BC or any of the west coast teams add men's lacrosse. Just zero chance. The money and T9 are just too much to overcome. (Sure, Stanford and USC can afford it, but Stanford tried to reduce sports a few years ago and USC is all-in on football.)

[gmen1986]

the path to B C adding a mens team would be them cutting the mens swimming team (which is suspended for alleged hazing), keep womens swimming and adding womens Gymnastics, which just became a ACC sport for 2023-2024 academic year. the path is there, its not as crazy of an idea as you may think.

I do doubt any major schools add MLAX soon, though that could always change. The schools I'm more interested in are the private, non football ones (big east/a10) and smaller state schools (mac/horizon league). Schools that are going to be effected by the enrollment cliff, and will need to find to compete for male enrollment as its declining (see xavier with nonschollie football being considered).

[gmen1986]

Not “major” universities but there are one or two schools tbinking about moving up to D-1.

can you share who the 1-2 schools considering are?

[CHRLAX]

This is really a problem for the sport. There are so many good youth lacrosse players with no where to go on the college level. At some point , parents will balk at the cost and commitment of club lacrosse etc if it doesn't yield any results. There already is barely any money in this sport from scholarships and no goldmine to dream about in a pro sport after college. not yet, but soon, people will be asking... what is the point?

[pcowlax]

the path to B C adding a mens team would be them cutting the mens swimming team (which is suspended for alleged hazing), keep womens swimming and adding womens Gymnastics, which just became a ACC sport for 2023-2024 academic year. the path is there, its not as crazy of an idea as you may think.

I do doubt any major schools add MLAX soon, though that could always change. The schools I'm more interested in are the private, non football ones (big east/a10) and smaller state schools (mac/horizon league). Schools that are going to be effected by the enrollment cliff, and will need to find to compete for male enrollment as its declining (see xavier with nonschollie football being considered).

Bring back Butler!

[NattyBohChamps04]

If College Football does eventually split, I can see tremendous growth. Clemson, SMU are schools to watch.

Next HC's:
- Ryan Wellner
- Kevin Cassese
- Jesse Bernhardt
- Eric Seremet

UGA would be awesome with the growth of the sport in that state.

They’d have to get past Tech in club first.

saw a game recently with 750-1k students in the parking lot overlooking roe stamps. 30-40 band members on the field. great atmosphere for the location, really.

Think they could do well w lacrosse but the Athletics Dept is a disaster and finances suck. Alumni aren’t there to support Athletics in general as much. So even with better gender mix, title IX money requirements to add varsity lacrosse seem at best a generation away. Never say never because there are enough wealthy alums that someone could conceivably anchor fund it but I don’t see it.

don't really care about any team making the jump, just commenting that their club has a pretty good thing going for what it is, building on your comment. student body seems behind it.

It’s a better fit there than UGA. They are supported and well received and pretty competitive. I am no good and played in some adult some leagues with some former Tech club players though and there’s still a massive gap.

There's a massive gap between the top and bottom of MCLA. Top club players have won world championships and played in the MLL/NLL. Bottom are kids just starting to play. Some of the best GT/UGA kids are high level D1 material. Lots of MIAA / NY kids headed south from the 70s-00's and even today and don't stick around for men's league.

[wgdsr]

This is really a problem for the sport. There are so many good youth lacrosse players with no where to go on the college level. At some point , parents will balk at the cost and commitment of club lacrosse etc if it doesn't yield any results. There already is barely any money in this sport from scholarships and no goldmine to dream about in a pro sport after college. not yet, but soon, people will be asking... what is the point?

as this is the division 1 forum....
there are 17,000 high schools playing basketball, and just over 350 div 1 hoops teams.
16,000 for football and about 260.
under 4,000 for lacrosse and about 75.

seems about in line. then there's about 60? div 2 and way over 100 schools playing division 3. on top of all that, there's a pretty good ecosystem of college club ball, with literally 100s of schools playing. which of course football doesn't have. a very easy case could be made that there's more opportunity to play lacrosse than those and other sports.

if you're in it for schollies and pro looks, you've chosen the wrong sport at the outset. not sure what we'll do if the youth travel club scene wanes.

[hofpride]

why is BU able to afford varsity lax , but not BC?

[coda]

As always, you folks are dreaming. No chance BC or any of the west coast teams add men's lacrosse. Just zero chance. The money and T9 are just too much to overcome. (Sure, Stanford and USC can afford it, but Stanford tried to reduce sports a few years ago and USC is all-in on football.)

The PAC schools made 30mm last year in TV contracts. Oregon, Washington, USC, and UCLA are predicted to make 90-100mm with the new Big 10 TV contract that is rumored to be Billion+ (assumes 100% members, not sure if Washington and Oregon are full members from the start). So the money has become a lower hurdle, because football and basketball are no longer operating at a deficit. It would require some influential boosters getting involved, but I do think the timing would be right. It is still a very long shot.

[mdk01]

why is BU able to afford varsity lax , but not BC?

No football team that loses money and causes Title IX issues

[OCanada]

Oregon will be dependent on Phil Knight’s view.