all already have club teams playing in the MCLA. I know Va Tech is a perennial conference championship contender, not sure how the other have done. However, club success is less of a factor than funding and Title IX implications.

Michigan announced they were moving up from the MCLA to varsity status one off season and 8 months later were playing in the Big Ten.

Along with adding Maryland and Rutgers to the conference at the same time. Prior to that, Penn State and Ohio State were the only Big Ten programs that had men's lacrosse. Penn State played in the CAA and Ohio State played in the ECAC lacrosse conference, which disbanded when the Big Ten started playing men's lacrosse.

Michigan upgrading to D1 level, along with the addition of Maryland and Rutgers to the conference, pushed the number of men's lacrosse programs in the Big Ten to five. At the same time, Hopkins was pursuing conference membership, and the Big Ten added them to get to AQ status.

I know Utah and Marquette brought their teams into existence slowly. Not sure about Lindenwood, but they seem to have generated a lot of excitement on campus. I'd love to see anyone of those teams you mentioned step up.

At the D2 level. When Lindenwood decided to make the transition to D1, their men's lax program made the transition as well.

In fact, the last four new D1 programs all were former D2 programs that made the transition to D1 when their school's athletic department transitioned to D1: LIU and Merrimack in 2020, Lindenwood and Queens this year.