Utah Going Division 1
by flanner96 (2017-06-16 23:21:34)

"The Utes are in early talks with the ACC, Big Ten and ...
by ShermanOaksND  (2017-06-17 14:17:36)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

... Big East to join a conference." They'd have a really rough go in the ACC, but it would add a 6th team to restore the ACC's auto-bid for the NCAAs.


My guess is they join the BE. Denver is already
by Steelhop  (2017-06-18 15:59:21)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

An affiliate member so while that is still a flight it isn't a killer for schools.

I can't see them joining the ACC. While the automatic bid is nice there teams don't have a real worry about making the tournament. Joining the B1G would be interesting but can't see that happening either.

I wonde if this moves the needle for Stanford to create a team - them and USC would be odds on favorite to move up given school structure and economics.


One advantage to the ACC having an AQ bid
by tf86  (2017-06-19 11:44:41)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

Without that bid, the NCAA is free to match up two ACC teams in the first round of the tournament. For the most part, that puts Duke, North Carolina and Virginia as the most likely schools to get matched up against each other in the first round, since the first round is largely geographically based. However, it's also certainly possible that Duke or North Carolina could face ND in the first round, if both of the schools in question were looking at an air travel game in any event.

Regardless of eventual conference alignment, I would expect that Utah will try to schedule both Denver and Air Force annually. While neither is close enough for a bus travel game, they at least eliminate the possibility of jet lag with these two teams on the schedule. Utah will be only the fourth or fifth Division I men's lacrosse program outside the eastern time zone (Air Force and Denver are in the mountain time zone, Marquette and perhaps Bellarmine are in the central time zone.)

As for Pac-12 schools, in addition to USC and Stanford I've also heard Arizona, Arizona State and Colorado mentioned as potential men's lacrosse additions. And while I haven't heard them mentioned, Oregon has a decent amount of in-state talent available, not to mention seemingly endless funds from Nike. Of course, Title IX is a potential issue for any of these schools, and I don't know where any of them stand on that. But I think we'll see the Pac-12 add men's lacrosse in the relatively near future, perhaps with affiliate members. Air Force and Denver make the most sense in that regard, and perhaps Texas is a possibility should they add men's lacrosse.


Bellarmine is in Louisville, which is on Eastern Time *
by ShermanOaksND  (2017-06-19 23:52:55)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post


How does each stand WRT Title IX?
by hoomanbeing  (2017-06-18 18:11:59)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

That always seems to be the biggest hurdle.


No idea. Title IX is always the issue and it "easy"
by Steelhop  (2017-06-18 18:59:57)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

For Utah because it is still majority male and someone willing to donate a ton of money to start the program. It would probably be tough for all 3 but at least Utah's decision can push them some. There is a reason why Michigan is the only P5 school to start a lacrosse program in the last - what 25 years - in overcoming Title IX. Something Utah didnt truly face.

I guess the issue for Stanford is that they already have a women's lax program so there isn't an offset on the female side that can offset the starting of a men's program.


I suspect Stanford would have to cut a sport
by fontoknow  (2017-06-19 11:59:22)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

A very high proportion of their 1st year class already comes in for Athletics.


The last Power 5 level football program to add
by tf86  (2017-06-19 11:37:03)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

Men's lacrosse prior to Michigan was Notre Dame, which started its men's lacrosse program in 1982.

Even with football, Title IX wasn't much of an issue for ND back then, given that overall enrollment was roughly 75% male at the time.


To me it is easier to have a lax program than start
by steelhop  (2017-06-19 15:36:43)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

a new program because of title IX issues. Which UM should be commended in overcoming that huge hurdle.

Since 1982 - P5 programs starting lax programs (ND, UM and Utah) is equal to the P5 schools dropping programs (MSU, BC and NCSt).


Two of the three that started men's lax programs
by tf86  (2017-06-20 10:44:07)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

Since 1982 did not have a significant Title IX obstacle to overcome. That could be a significant obstacle moving forward, particularly since the majority of Power 5 football programs are at public schools, and at many public schools, female students are in the majority.

The only other FBS level school (not Power 5) to be added to the list of schools sponsoring both FBS-level football and Division I men's lacrosse in the relevant time period is UMass. UMass is a little different, however -- in their case, the men's lacrosse program existed first, and football wasn't elevated to FBS status until much later.

As an aside, I've been trying to come up with a list of schools which formerly sponsored Division I men's lacrosse but discontinued the sport, at least at that level. In addition to the Power 5 schools you listed, I've come up with (all non-Power 5 schools) Butler, Morgan State and Presbyterian. Any others that you know of?


I have no idea but this guy seems to have put
by steelhop  (2017-06-20 12:45:13)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

together a good list of schools.

Seems like there was a big drop in the late 70s/80s when sports programs seemed to jump on stature (i.e. tv money?). I'm not sure I believe some of the author's insistence in Title IX being an issue back then but maybe it was for some schools.


The travel would be killer *
by flanner96  (2017-06-17 18:01:58)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post


It'll be killer no matter what, though *
by mikeybates  (2017-06-17 19:03:58)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post