D3 Roster Size

[palaxoff]

Thought I'd take this subject out of Coaching Carousel

Few thoughts.

First when you say roster you need to consider the parts of the whole. There are many different positions. Here is a quick breakdown for a starting team:
Fogo (2)
Goalie (2)
Long D Pole (5)
Long Mid Pole (2)
SSMD (4)
2 Way Mids (2)
Offensive Mids (4)
Attack (5)
For a total of 26 so you need at least another 20 filling those positions for full field scrimmages when you consider injuries, classes and other factors, so 50 is probably the correct number.

Second it is no secret that D3 schools use athletics to build up their student body. I have spoken with several D3 coaches who will admit they get more resources the bigger their team's are.

Finally, I doubt any good coach when recruiting is promising anyone playing time. They are offering them a chance to compete for Playing Time. It is on the athlete to earn it. These athletes are playing at the pinnacle of their lacrosse career. Like real life it is about results. It is a good life lesson to have before they graduate.

[River Donkey]

Finally a thread, let’s have at it. I’ve tried a thread for a few years and it’s just fizzled out when big news broke. Let’s take an honest look at this issue.

[River Donkey]

All good points and I agree 50 is a great number to shoot for as a coach. My issue is with rosters over 50 mostly at the d2 level. Yes telling recruits they can compete for a spot is the way to go, but what if that coach knows all to well the kid in question has zero chance of playing or really making any real contribution to practices he should do the right thing and let the player know where he stands. My point is maybe that player takes that candid assessment and decides maybe he’d rather actually have a chance of playing and starts to consider some of these new programs, in turn helping these programs grow and creating more appealing opportunities for more players. Nobody wants to go to a team that is terrible and on top play with a short roster. Maybe these rosters start filling and maybe who knows another Christopher Newport emerges. Not to mention the opportunity to be big man on campus and create great memories of his playing days he can pass on to the next generation.
I went to a 4 year old d2 program that many laughed at when they started up, but with a determined coach, a bunch of second chance guys, scrappy hungry guys who were looked over elsewhere, that program win a national championship 4 years into existence and another 3 over the years. Not to mention it was a sub 30 man roster. Opportunity is there, it’s what you make of it.

[Asgot]

What is the coaching willing to do in terms of travel. How many fit on a bus? Do you take everyone or do you have a travel roster? Over 50 is hard to manage for one team but 40 or less is really light especially if you have a couple of k juries and now all of a sudden. You have 36.

I would expand the number of goalies and fogos you need simply to be able to practice because they have to go to school as well and sometimes class happens during their practice time slot.

[JustOneTime]

I think rosters should have a max of 50, make it an NCAA rule. Kids and their parents have to be realistic and self evaluate their talent level with that of the school they want to attend. Most coaches will never guarantee playing time. The kids can look at the stats from season to season and see how many games kids play in.

[InsiderRoll]

Any family can look up roster size. If you don’t want to be on a big roster then don’t go to the school.

NCAA roster limits so that the talent is spread out among more programs? So communism for lacrosse rosters? What are we talking about here.

Lastly most kids don’t pan out, often it isn’t necessarily because of talent either. Some kids get distracted, find other interests, party to much, struggle in the classroom, have girlfriend that takes over their life. The list is endless. That it extremely difficult to predict and evaluate and coaches want to mitigate the effects of that. That means a larger roster. I mean what if you have a cap of 40 and then like York 7 guys transfer out. Now you have 33 before any injuries. Coaches are professionals and they know what is best for their individual programs.

[InsiderRoll]

Kids and their parents have to be realistic and self evaluate their talent level

True. Will never happen in todays world. In 20 years you won’t even be able to honest with a kid about their gender let alone their talent level.

[smoova]

Food for thought: many NESCACs don't use lacrosse to put heads in beds and several of those programs were reasonably competitive in 2023 with rosters around 45 - Williams (41), Amherst (46), Midd (46).

[smoova]

Coaches are professionals and they know what is best for their individual programs.

Counterpoint: early recruiting.

[Leonard Washington]

Institutions and coaches should have as many guys on their roster as they would like, even if it is 60 plus. If the last 10 guys never see the field, continue to help out with the team GPA and mom and dad are happy being the team parents for most of their son's career, so be it.

That being said, to field a competitive roster you should have at least 30 guys.

[Nosey Ned]

This topic is not a one size fits all. In other words, what is appropriate for a perennial top 25 D3 program is not anywhere near the same considerations for roster size of a mid level program which in turn, is not the same considerations of a further lower level program. A top 25 program has the luxury of taking a hard pass on a player the coach knows won’t “ever see the field”. Top 25 program coaches are recruiting players they believe will see the field, and therefore are probably guaranteeing (at least some of them) a helmet for their 1st year - that is the extent of any guarantee- thereafter they will need to earn it each year. If the kid has any self belief, he’ll accept that offer and bet on himself. If he’s scared away by competition, coach won’t want him anyway. The next level kid for the top 25 program, is a “reverse inquiry” type, where no promise of even making the team is made. They become one of probably 70+ kids that show up for fall ball. And Coach will have a look to see if there are any diamonds in the rough that went un-recruited.

In the end, imo 45-50 is the ideal number of players. Fewer, and you don’t have the competitive practices necessary for growth. More, and you run the risk of having to go to a travel squad for away games and that can be very hard on team moral.

Lower level teams are lucky if they have the luxury of having 50+ players in fall ball to even consider. Even lower level teams are lucky to get 30 guys that can adequately throw and catch. And if a program has fewer than 20 players, they should consider dropping the sport. I know they won’t, but THEY SHOULD, if they truly cared about player safety.

[JustOneTime]

Good points Nosey Ned especially about the minimum size of a roster that should be allowed. My son has played teams that have very small rosters. Durning the game a few get injured and by the time it's over they are down to 3 or 4 subs. The final score of these games are like 20 to 0 and could have easily been 50 to 0. These games make no sense to even play. It is a safety issue in my opinion. Perhaps there should be an NCAA D4 division where all the teams that are like this can be a part of. Or they just move their program to club level. I know this is not a "grow the game" perspective but it does need to be looked into.

[Yeti_33]

Since we're on a D3 board discussing roster sizes, I feel it begs the question - Who in D3 had the largest roster?

Without much digging and just off the top of my head based on prior searches I'm going to throw out my top 3 that I've found

Stevenson - 62
Trine - 56
RIT - 55

[DeepPocket]

Since we're on a D3 board discussing roster sizes, I feel it begs the question - Who in D3 had the largest roster?

Without much digging and just off the top of my head based on prior searches I'm going to throw out my top 3 that I've found

Stevenson - 62
Trine - 56
RIT - 55

In 2022 Trinity had 62
53 in 2023, but was similar in size until they lost a bunch during early season team drama.

[JPAtlantic]

Since we're on a D3 board discussing roster sizes, I feel it begs the question - Who in D3 had the largest roster?

Without much digging and just off the top of my head based on prior searches I'm going to throw out my top 3 that I've found

Stevenson - 62
Trine - 56
RIT - 55

Doesn’t Stevenson have a JV team also? That’s a lot of kids.

[DeepPocket]

Since we're on a D3 board discussing roster sizes, I feel it begs the question - Who in D3 had the largest roster?

Without much digging and just off the top of my head based on prior searches I'm going to throw out my top 3 that I've found

Stevenson - 62
Trine - 56
RIT - 55

In 2022 Trinity had 62
53 in 2023, but was similar in size until they lost a bunch during early season team drama.

56 Connecticut college
56 Tufts
54 Salisbury

[Laxattackjack]

Since we're on a D3 board discussing roster sizes, I feel it begs the question - Who in D3 had the largest roster?

Without much digging and just off the top of my head based on prior searches I'm going to throw out my top 3 that I've found

Stevenson - 62
Trine - 56
RIT - 55

Doesn’t Stevenson have a JV team also? That’s a lot of kids.

Maybe they combine them. I count 66 on the Stevenson roster for 2023

[DeepPocket]

Since we're on a D3 board discussing roster sizes, I feel it begs the question - Who in D3 had the largest roster?

Without much digging and just off the top of my head based on prior searches I'm going to throw out my top 3 that I've found

Stevenson - 62
Trine - 56
RIT - 55

In 2022 Trinity had 62
53 in 2023, but was similar in size until they lost a bunch during early season team drama.

56 Connecticut college
56 Tufts
54 Salisbury

57 Colorado College

[RamsFan]

Food for thought: many NESCACs don't use lacrosse to put heads in beds and several of those programs were reasonably competitive in 2023 with rosters around 45 - Williams (41), Amherst (46), Midd (46).

Maybe they dont use them to put big #s of heads in beds, but they certainly do to put FULL PAY heads in beds, even if only 40-45 instead of 55+ elsewhere.

[DeepPocket]

Since we're on a D3 board discussing roster sizes, I feel it begs the question - Who in D3 had the largest roster?

Without much digging and just off the top of my head based on prior searches I'm going to throw out my top 3 that I've found

Stevenson - 62
Trine - 56
RIT - 55

In 2022 Trinity had 62
53 in 2023, but was similar in size until they lost a bunch during early season team drama.

56 Connecticut college
56 Tufts
54 Salisbury

57 Colorado College

CNU 55