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US Coaches Work to Grow the Game in Germany

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Video http://www.spiegel.de/video/video-1098038.html


(translated by Babelfish)


In North America nearly each Lacrosse knows. Now a Hamburg association wants to bring the spectacular sport forward also in Germany - and sets thereby on coaches from the USA: The development aides are to terminate the stagnation and create professional structures.

Kyle Hawkins is an icon. In the USA it has the Lacrosse team of the University of Missouri trained, there dared it 2006 a much-considered step - it professed itself to its homosexuality. As one of very few gays in the sport enterprise it risked Coming out. Year after was it no more coaches, who are reasons disputed - however who knows, perhaps would have it that today 39-Jährigen otherwise never to Hamburg devious.

Hawkins is one of the two largest hopes in the German Lacrosse. The other one is Robert Eakins, 53, from New York. Hawkins and Eakins are coach the Hamburg Warrios and the only persons in Germany, which are full-time Lacrosse training supervisors. They have a mission: The sport is to become popular in this country.

Read More (translated)

German Version

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Albertus Magnus College (CT) Add's Lacrosse

Albertus Magnus College announced a major renovation to the College’s outdoor athletic field, the addition of a turf playing surface at the New Haven, Connecticut campus.  The upgrades will occur during the summer of 2011. The renovated field will remain home to Albertus’ highly successful men’s and women’s soccer programs, and the College will also sponsor men’s and women’s lacrosse as their 13th and 14th varsity sports, beginning in the spring of 2013.

“This is a very exciting step for Albertus Magnus College and our Athletic Department. The addition of a turf field and lacrosse represents a new era for Albertus Athletics. Our student-athletes will have the opportunity to compete on a world class facility, our programming options for our community will grow exponentially, and men’s and women’s lacrosse represent new and exciting spring sports to be enjoyed by our supporters. This decision gives our programs the opportunity to compete at a higher level,” said President Julia M. McNamara.

Press Release

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Marquette University Adds Men's and Women's Lacrosse

MILWAUKEE - Marquette University will add men's and women's lacrosse to its NCAA Division I varsity sports offerings, Athletic Director Steve Cottingham announced Thursday. Both teams will begin competition in spring 2013.
"Lacrosse is a thrilling sport, loved by fans and participants, and a natural fit for Marquette," said Cottingham. "The national growth of lacrosse and Marquette's membership in the BIG EAST make this exactly the right time for us to move forward with lacrosse as a varsity sport at Marquette. We are confident we can build programs that compete successfully at the national level."
Lacrosse will become the eighth men's sport to be offered at MU, as well as the eighth women's team to be added, bringing the total number of varsity programs at the university to 16. Marquette plans to hire head coaches in advance of the 2011-12 academic year to allow the respective coaching staffs to recruit student-athletes for the first season in 2012-13 with varsity competition starting that spring. The Golden Eagles will play as an independent their first season of competition before becoming a full member of the BIG EAST Conference in men's and women's lacrosse in 2013-14.

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Oregon's New Lacrosse Facility

The University of Oregon has released its plans for the expansion of the Casanova Center and the new facility for women's soccer and lacrosse.
The project, funded entirely by Nike founder Phil Knight and his wife, Penny, is expected to start early next year with summer 2013 targeted for competition.
The Casanova Center, which houses the offices for most of the athletic department, will be expanded by 130,000 square feet, including a new 25,000-square-foot weight room.
The complex also will include a grass football field and two synthetic turf practice fields. The Casanova expansion will displace the current soccer and lacrosse facility, and a new one will be built at the east end of Autzen Stadium adjacent to the PK Park baseball facility.

Full Article

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Lacrosse Growth in Turkey



Billed as one of the world’s fastest-growing sports, lacrosse is now trying to establish itself on Turkey's sports map. The founder of Turkey Lacrosse, Patrick Dougherty, is confident that the sport can grow in Turkey, which has a young population that loves sport. A similarity with football, the country’s number-one sport, may help as well, he says

Full Article

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More on Michigan Going D1

11 years ago Michigan added Men's Soccer.  Now they are on the verge of a National Championship.  Will a Division 1 Men's Lacrosse team at Michigan be able to produce the same results in a decade?  Maybe quicker?  According to the Michigan Men's Soccer Coach Michigan approaches Non-Revenue sports differently than most big time athletic departments:

"A lot of people wanted to point the finger at gender equity. It's not gender equity, it's finances and it's decisions that athletic departments make on how they want to spend or not spend their money," Burns said. "There are a lot of programs that wish there were only two sports — football and spring football."

Recently Michigan A.D. Dave Brandon spoke with Inside Lacrosse about the potential transition.  Rumors are the official announcement could be as early as January:

Insidelacrosse.com -- The possibility of lacrosse becoming a varsity sport at the University of Michigan appears to be closer to becoming a reality. Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon, who spoke with IL Monday morning on the issue, has made unofficial comments regarding the potential of adding both a men's and women's lacrosse program, but did not officially comment as to when a decision will be made.

"We're highly interested in adding lacrosse as a varsity sport," Brandon said. "We're in the process of doing a review of how that would work and the costs associated and reaching out to donors to see what kind of support we have. We're in investigation mode. We very much would like to do it but we have to first prove it's a viable option."

Full Article

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Talks Underway For A Nationals Move to Hamilton, OT

The Toronto Nationals of Major League Lacrosse could be on their way to Hamilton.

The Spectator has learned the club is in negotiations with McMaster University to play its games at Ron Joyce Stadium. The Nationals have also had discussions with Hamilton Entertainment and Convention Facilities Inc. (HECFI) to handle some of their business operations

Full Article

Lacrosse Magazine Article

Michigan A.D. Confirms Varsity Lacrosse in the Future

mgoblog.com

Normally 50-60 Alumni at the Toledo events, today there was 128 people.

DB (A.D. Dave Brandon) sees the Big 10 at 14 teams in the next couple of years, with 16 teams being possible. Only big name teams that have a large market share / successful in sports and in academics. He did not name names, but mentioned only a few schools fit that profile.

Going to be adding mega scoreboards / TVs in both endzones in the near future. Once the FB team is back to standards, 115K will be seen in the Big House.

Meets with RR (Head Football Coach Rich Rodriguez) every Sunday after games, they do have a very good relationship and RR understands the expectations at Michigan. Football drives the athletic department.

Will be expanding the athletic department…adding both men’s and women’s Lacrosse to get up to 27 sports.

Full Article

Lacrosse Magazine Overview of D3 Schools That Should Have Men's Lacrosse

So let me get this straight: the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) has the wherewithal to sponsor 12 women’s lacrosse programs and just one has the ability to also field a men’s team?

Granted, I’m not able to delve into the proportionality numbers of these institutions, but am I supposed to believe that a point hasn’t arisen where men’s lacrosse has been a viable option among these 11 schools – Bloomsburg, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Gannon, Indiana (Pa.), Kutztown, Lock Haven, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock, West Chester?

It’s not like we’re talking about Wyoming or Arkansas.

Full Article

Rattlers Return: Machine Move to Rochester

ROCHESTER, NY – RocLax LLC Owner & CEO Robert Clark announced today that Major League Lacrosse will be returning to Rochester for the 2011 season. The team, nicknamed the Rattlers, will feature the best players in the world and will play its home games at Marina Auto Stadium.

The Rattlers were a charter member of Major League Lacrosse (MLL) beginning play in 2001. In eight seasons in Rochester, the Rattlers compiled a 55-45 record capturing the National Division championship in 2004. The club’s greatest triumph came in 2008 when it won the MLL Championship, posting a 9-3 record en route to winning the Steinfeld Cup with a 16-6 win over the Denver Outlaws.

“The MLL is very excited to be returning to Rochester” said MLL Commissioner David Gross. The Rattlers had some of the most passionate and dedicated fans in the league and we’re thrilled that they will have the opportunity to enjoy MLL action again. We had the opportunity to work with Rob Clark and his staff this past summer and believe that Rob and his crew will do an excellent job growing the fan base in the region and running a first class operation.”

In addition, the club announced that B. J. O’Hara would be returning to lead the team as head coach. “B.J. O’Hara’s resume made him the obvious choice to lead the Rattlers” said RocLax LLC Owner and CEO Robert Clark. “B.J. was a huge part of the success the Rattlers realized over the years, culminating with a championship in 2008. We feel very fortunate to have B.J.”

Read More

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Southern California Adds Women's Lacrosse

Women's lacrosse will be added to USC's athletic program beginning in the 2012-13 season, Trojan athletic director Pat Haden announced today.

It will become the 21st NCAA sport sponsored by USC, and the 12th women's sport. Last year, USC announced the addition of women's sand volleyball, to begin play in the spring of 2012.

"We are `all in' for women's lacrosse," said Haden. "USC president Max Nikias was fervently behind the addition of this wonderful and exciting sport, which has made drastic inroads lately on the West Coast. We are adding women's lacrosse with the intention that USC will compete for a national championship.

Full Article

Interview with Associate A.D.

MLL Commisioner Reveals Machine Will Have Permanent Home in 2011, and Expansion in 2012

Lacrosse All Stars: As MLL Commissioner, what is a normal day in your shoes like?

David Gross: I don’t think there is much that’s normal in a given day besides when I arrive and leave. I usually arrive between 7:30 am – 8:00 am and head for home around 6:00 pm so I can have dinner with my kids (ages 7 and 4). After I put them to bed I’ll usually hop on the computer to finish things up. Besides some structured weekly meetings with the league staff and our teams, my time is spent on a host of league matters that vary from the time of year and day. The month of September, there is a strong focus working on the league budget for the following year. So much of what we do here is a collaborative effort.

Besides the budget, on any given day I can be involved in talking to potential expansion ownership groups, looking at licensing opportunities and our own on-line store, dealing with legal paperwork, working on how to best utilize our marketing platforms, getting involved in our league special events (college draft, All Star Game, Championship Weekend), collaborating with our current league sponsors and seeking out new league partners, assisting our teams with any problems they may be facing, communicating with players in the league and working on our broadcast distribution and content.

In terms of strategic planning for the league, I find I spend more time on that when I’m in the car or out of the office traveling.

Full Article

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Winthrop University to Add Women's Lacrosse

ROCK HILL, S.C. – Winthrop University Board of Trustee members voted Nov. 5 to add a women’s lacrosse team to its Division I program.

President Anthony DiGiorgio said a new coach would be hired next spring and a team assembled to play by spring 2012. “We’ve heard on our recruiting trips in the Northeast that this is a sport that high school students would like to participate,” said DiGiorgio. “Female lacrosse players nationwide have among the highest academic success rates. These athletes would like to continue playing at college, and they want to play at a good school.”

Winthrop added women’s soccer in 2003 because of a similar trend.

Lacrosse is gaining popularity in the South as other nearby universities have added the sport. DiGiorgio said the addition of women’s lacrosse at Winthrop would create increased opportunities for women’s participation in intercollegiate scholarship sports as defined in Title IX.

Link

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Men's Lacrosse: High Point Names Jon Torpey First Men's Lacrosse Coach

HIGH POINT, N.C. – High Point University's first head coach of men's lacrosse will be Jon Torpey, Athletic Director Craig Keilitz announced on Wednesday. Torpey will join the Panthers in June 2011 after successful stints as associate head coach at both Dartmouth and Denver.

Read More

Coker College Announces Tony Smith as First Head Coach
HARTSVILLE, S.C. – Coker College is pleased to announce the hiring of Tony Smith as the Cobras’ first ever men’s lacrosse coach. Smith will take the helm of the newly formed Coker lacrosse program starting December 1.

Read More

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Alma College (MI) Adds Lacrosse

Alma College will sponsor varsity men’s and women’s lacrosse beginning in the 2011-12 academic year, increasing the College’s number of intercollegiate sponsored sports from 18 to 20. 

  “Lacrosse is a growing sport both in terms of participation and popularity in Michigan and the Midwest,” says John Leister, Alma College athletic director. “Many high schools have added lacrosse to their sports programs, yet opportunities to compete beyond high school are limited.
  “At Alma, more than one-third of our students typically participate in intercollegiate athletics, and as many as 50 percent of all new students consider playing a sport,” says Leister. “Adding lacrosse provides an opportunity for students who enjoy lacrosse to maximize their college experience at Alma.”   
 National searches for men’s and women’s lacrosse coaches will begin immediately. Competition will start in spring 2012, with matches to be played at the 3,000-seat Bahlke Field. The field turf at Bahlke Field is slated for replacement in June 2011.   
 The recommendation to add men’s and women’s lacrosse by a campus-wide Athletics Task Force was enthusiastically approved by Alma College President Jeff Abernathy.

Full Article

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Coker Athletics Adds Men's Lacrosse

HARTSVILLE, S.C. – Coker College is pleased to announce the addition of men’s lacrosse as a varsity sport for the 2011-12 academic year. Lacrosse is action-packed and employs skill sets from hockey, basketball and soccer; making it a great addition to the Coker Athletic Department.
The Cobra men’s lacrosse program will begin competition in the fall of 2011.

“Adding men’s lacrosse redefines our portfolio of sports teams in a manner consistent with our strategic direction,” said Coker President Dr. Robert Wyatt.  “It helps open new recruiting markets for us, particularly in the northeastern section of the United States.  Lacrosse players typically have higher than average SAT scores and fit the student-athlete profile we desire to maintain at Coker College. “
Coker will become the seventh member of Conference Carolinas to have men’s lacrosse, joining Belmont Abbey College, Lees-McRae College, Limestone College, Pfeiffer University, Queens University of Charlotte and St. Andrews Presbyterian College.
“Lacrosse is one of the fastest growing sports in the country, and currently six Conference Carolinas schools play lacrosse and are respected within NCAA Division II,” Director of Athletics Lynn Griffin said. “As Coker redefines ready, it is a perfect time to introduce lacrosse to the College and to Hartsville.”

Full Article

Roberts Wesleyan College Adds Men’s and Women’s Lacrosse for 2011-2012

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Roberts Wesleyan College announced today it is adding men’s and women’s lacrosse as intercollegiate sports starting in the 2011-2012 academic year. The addition of these two programs further supports the objective of the College to pursue NCAA D-II membership.  
 
Roberts Wesleyan College is currently a member of the American Mideast Conference within the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA). Roberts Wesleyan currently offers 14 intercollegiate sports to student athletes: men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s cross country, volleyball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s track and field, men’s and women’s tennis, and golf. The addition of men’s and women’s lacrosse will bolster an already well balanced athletic program with over 200 student athletes, and will provide additional opportunities for students to participate in athletics during the spring semester. 
 
“The Rochester area is a hotbed for high school Lacrosse. We are excited to offer student athletes this opportunity to participate in a sport they love at a college like Roberts, where student athletic competition is a valued part of the character development of our students,” said Mike Faro, Roberts Wesleyan College director of athletics.

Full Article

Cal Drops Women's Lacrosse

BERKELEY - University of California, Berkeley, Chancellor Robert J. Birgeneau announced today (Tuesday, Sept. 28) a comprehensive plan for the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics that will result in a broad-based yet sustainable program that continues to support the campus's commitment to excellence.

At the end of this academic year, baseball, men's and women's gymnastics, and women's lacrosse will no longer represent UC Berkeley in intercollegiate competition. In addition, men's rugby will transition to a varsity club sport, a newly-designated status at UC Berkeley.

In a letter sent today to the campus community, Birgeneau said the rugby team's history indicates that this change should not affect its competitive opportunities or abilities. He added that Cal rugby's unsurpassed excellence will be maintained through continued campus support in terms of admissions and through access to sports medicine and training facilities.

Together, these steps will generate an estimated $4 million in direct and indirect cost reductions for Cal Athletics beginning in the next fiscal year, while limiting future growth in expenses.

Full Article

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Olivet College (MI) to Begin Women's Lacrosse in 2011

Olivet College has announced it will sponsor a varsity women’s lacrosse program, beginning in the spring of 2011. The Comets fielded a club women’s lacrosse team during the 2009 and 2010 seasons. Brian Jacob and David Tanis, who served as co-head coaches for the club teams, will continue the same role for the varsity team.

“We are very excited to elevate our women’s lacrosse program to the varsity level,” said Olivet Athletic Director Heather Bateman. “We are going to compete as an independent team at the NCAA Division III level.”
A 15-game varsity schedule is being put together for the 2011 season.
“I am extremely excited for Olivet being one of four NCAA schools in the state of Michigan to offer varsity women’s lacrosse,” said Tanis. “Women’s lacrosse has really seen a lot of growth over the past five years and schools associated with Olivet’s Community Connection Grant are among the best in the state. Brian and I believe we can build a strong program at Olivet with local, home-grown talent by creating a positive environment for our high school recruits to compete at the next level.”

Full Article

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How to Get Your Favorite BCS School to Add Division 1 Men's Lacrosse: Donate $90 Million Dollars

Do you dream of the day where Florida, Texas, and UCLA sponsor Division 1 Men's Lacrosse?  That dream could be a reality depending on how deep your pockets are.  Unfortunately, the way Division 1 athletics is in this day and age (football/basketball revenue focused) combined with a deep recession, results in athletic departments that are hesitant to add any new money losing sports (unless required for gender equity reasons).

However, in rare instances, like when an alumni has TBoone Pickens type money, these BCS schools may consider taking the plunge.  Take Penn State for example, which recently announced they would be adding varsity Men's and Women's Ice Hockey thanks to a $90 million dollar donation.  Why 90 million you may ask?  Doesn't that seem a bit high?  Well look at it this way.  Based on this list, one could expect the combined operational cost for Men's and Women's Ice Hockey programs to be as high as $1.7 million.  When taking into consideration new auxiliary costs associated with the creation of these programs (salaries for academic support positions, equipment managers, athletic trainers etc.) let's say an even $2 million to run both programs.  

So if the Men's program costs $1 million annually, that program could be fully endowed for $20 million dollars assuming about 5% of endowment assets are used each year.  Do the same for the Women and you've got two fully funded potential powerhouse programs, plus $50 million left for a new facility.  Now I have no idea of what the actual breakdown of this donation will be, in fact this article implies that only $13 million would be used towards scholarship endowment and the remaining $75 million would go towards a new facility.  Either way, what us lacrosse dreamers should take away from this is that to add Men's Lacrosse at a D1 BCS school, it would likely be expected that an alumni (or friends group) would need to contribute significant funds toward program endowment for not only a new men's lacrosse program, but also for a new women's sport as well.  In addition, it would likely be expected that significant funds would also be required for facility upgrades, or a new facility altogether. Simple plan no?  Let's get fundraising.

High Point University to Add Men's Lacrosse For 2013

High Point University is adding men's lacrosse as its 16th varsity sport, HPU president Dr. Nido Qubein announced as part of $2.1 billion University growth plan on Wednesday. The team will take the field in the 2012-13 academic year.

"We are extremely excited to add men's lacrosse and see the positive impact the sport will have on High Point University," said Athletic Director Craig Keilitz. "Our goal is to field a nationally-ranked men's lacrosse program, and I'm confident that High Point University will attract the coaches and student-athletes that will get us there. Lacrosse is a fantastic fit for High Point University."

"In addition, we are confident that men's lacrosse will help continue to increase national awareness about High Point University and attract excellent students who will keep advancing our national reputation. Lacrosse is one of the fastest-growing sports and a great number of our current students are from the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, where it is especially popular," said Keilitz.

High Point University will hire a head coach for men's lacrosse by the spring of 2011. The coaching staff will spend the 2011-12 academic year recruiting players, scheduling and building the program. Men's lacrosse will have the maximum number of scholarships and coaches allowed by the NCAA.

"We intend to give our lacrosse program all of the resources needed to be one of the best in the nation," said Keilitz. "We will have the maximum number of scholarships and coaches and we will provide all of the necessary facilities. Vert Stadium is an outstanding venue that is perfectly suited for lacrosse and we are looking at turfing options that will further enhance the facility."

Article

Article 2

Nike and the MCLA Form Partnership

According to a press release from the MCLA, Nike has entered into an agreement to become the leagues 'brand of choice'.  While the article does not go into specifics in regard to exactly how the MCLA will benefit, from a strictly business standpoint this is a smart move on Nikes part.  Like ESPN, Nike is investing in lacrosse while the sport is still in its infancy, hoping that someday (20, 30 years?) lacrosse will grow up to be the third major collegiate sport.  Imagine if there is a day where MCLA teams are turning varsity by the droves, one would guess that it is Nikes hope that these teams maintain their brand loyalty post varsity transition. 
ESPN is making a similar investment in the sport.  ESPN currently broadcasts over 60 NCAA games a year, plus all MLL games on their various family of networks.  Does anyone think ESPN is able to sell enough in advertising during these games to offset the operational cost of broadcasting them?  Of course not.  The short term goal of ESPNs investment in lacrosse is using it to increase viewership of their newer channels such as ESPNU and ESPN3.com. In ESPNUs case ESPN uses that viewership as leverage against cable providers when negotiated carriage agreements.  But in the long term one would think that ESPN would like to do with lacrosse what they did with college basketball in the 80's, the X-Games in the 90's, and the World Series of Poker in the new millennium...bring it to the masses, and more importantly, make it accepted by the masses.

Rochester Rattlers to Return to MLL?

There has been buzz for a couple months now that the Rochester Rattlers may return to the MLL.  The Rattlers left two years ago and moved to Toronto to become the Nationals.  One question that looms is if Rochester did return would they simply replace the Chicago Machine and the MLL would remain at 6 teams?

"The Major Lacrosse League Rattlers existed from 2001 to 2008, won their only crown in their final year but moved to Toronto after the sports group's problems. The Brigade, Rochester's first indoor football team, lasted from 2000 to 2003 but drew small crowds and fought the lower-league stigma the RazorSharks and Raiders do. A new outdoor lacrosse team in Rochester to replace the Rattlers wouldn't have that problem. The MLL and NLL feature the best players in the world."

Article

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University of New Orleans Considering Adding Men's Lacrosse

The University of New Orleans was hit hard by Hurricane Katrina, and five years later they are still recovering.  One reality of UNO's post Katrina existence is the decision by university administration to reclassify from Division I to Division III.  One silver lining however, is that a move to Division III will allow the university to add more sport offerings, including possibly even lacrosse: 

"As UNO looks to the future, leadership plans to add more sports.

Champion said softball “will probably come along” in 2012. UNO also is investigating other programs such as men’s lacrosse, men’s soccer and men’s and women’s cross country and track.
Champion said the school has received a lot of interest from prospective coaches. She said her office has fielded unsolicited e-mails and phone calls from area club and high school coaches who have expressed interest in being apart of UNO’s growth."

Full Article

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Bucky Dent, MLB Legend, Says Baseball is Losing Kids to Lacrosse

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Start at the 3 min mark.  Courtesy of Lacrosse Underground



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George Fox University (OR) to Add Women's Lacrosse

NEWBERG, Ore. - Adding to a growing list of intercollegiate athletic programs, George Fox University will increase its number of sports teams to 16 with the addition of women’s lacrosse, which will begin play in the spring of 2012.

“We are excited by the addition of women’s lacrosse to our slate of opportunities for student-athletes,” said George Fox director of athletics Craig Taylor in making the announcement Thursday. “Lacrosse is rapidly emerging across the country at both the high school and college levels.”

The newest team at George Fox will compete in the Northwest Conference and the NCAA Division III, as do all of the Bruins’ sports. Other NWC institutions which already have varsity women’s lacrosse teams are Linfield College, Pacific University, and the University of Puget Sound. Several other conference members have club teams and could elevate them to varsity status at some point.

Link

-Article (The Newberg Graphic)

Huntingdon College (AL) Adds Men's Lacrosse

Huntingdon College President J. Cameron West announced at a news conference held on campus today that the College will add men's lacrosse and women's track and field to the list of intercollegiate athletic teams offered by the College. The programs will begin in the 2011–2012 academic year. West said he anticipates women's lacrosse and men's track and field will follow in the 2012–2013 academic year. The College's athletic program is a member of the NCAA-Division III and offers women's basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, and volleyball; and men's baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, and tennis.

"After looking at a number of possibilities, we chose these two sports to grow our athletic offerings further," said West. "Like most Division III schools, our student body is highly participatory, meaning that most of our students are involved in one or more activities they are passionate about outside their majors--whether in athletics, arts, leadership, service, ministries, or other opportunities. Statistically, lacrosse and track will bring in new groups of students who are passionate about participating in those sports, but who are also well-prepared academically. We have found that Division III student-athletes are focused both on the field, court, or course and in the classroom. Those are the types of students who do well at Huntingdon."

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Florida Tech to Add Lacrosse for 2012

MELBOURNE, Fla. (Athletics News) – On the heels of Florida Tech’s announcement that it intends to add a football program, University President Anthony J. Catanese has announced that the face of Panther Athletics will be changing once again. For the first time since 2003, the athletic department will expand its list of varsity sports with the addition of five more teams in the immediate future.

“Florida Tech is committed to offering students a wide range of athletic opportunities, which is why I am pleased to announce the addition of men’s and women’s track and field, men’s lacrosse, and men’s and women’s swimming and diving to our slate of collegiate varsity athletic programs,” said President Catanese. “We are excited to be entering this growth period and looking forward to bringing the community on campus to be a part of it.”

Beginning in the spring of 2011, Florida Tech will compete in both men’s and women’s track and field, led by head cross country coach Pete Mazzone. Initially, the athletic department will work with local programs and facilities in the use of their sites for practices and competition. With the addition, Tech becomes just the fourth institution in the Sunshine State Conference to sponsor the sport, joining Florida Southern College, Nova Southeastern University and the University of Tampa.

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Albright College (PA) to Add Men's Lacrosse for the 2012 Season

READING, Pa. - Albright College President Lex O. McMillan III, Ph.D., announced that the college will add a varsity men’s and women’s lacrosse program beginning in the fall of 2011. This addition brings the total number of Albright varsity teams that compete at the NCAA Division III level to 23.

A search for head coaches will begin immediately. Both teams will remain at the club level for the 2010-2011 academic year and will be promoted to varsity status in the fall of 2011. This is the first time in Albright’s history that it will sponsor both programs as varsity sports.

“The addition of the men’s and women’s lacrosse programs shows that Albright continues to grow as a whole. These two teams will give the college even more opportunities to compete for both conference and national championships,” said Director of Athletics Janice Luck.

As one of the fastest growing sports at the NCAA Division III level, the Lions will compete in their first varsity season in the spring of 2012. There are currently more than 180 women’s lacrosse programs and more than 150 men’s lacrosse Division III programs in the nation. Both teams will compete in the Middle Atlantic Conference, which currently sponsors 13 women’s teams and 12 men’s teams.

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Lindenwood University (MO) To Sponsor DII Men's Lacrosse in 2013

Perennial MCLA mid-western power and current NAIA school Lindenwood University has been accepted into the NCAA at the Division II level. With the acceptance into the NCAA Lindenwood has also stated what varsity programs, of which they currently maintain 46, will be sponsored at the NCAA level beginning in 2013.

"Lindenwood plans to have 26 sports programs when it begins play at the NCAA level. These include all 21 sports that currently compete in the NAIA, as well as field hockey, women’s ice hockey, men’s and women’s lacrosse, and men’s volleyball. Every sport will compete at the NCAA Division II level except for women’s ice hockey and men’s volleyball, which will compete at the National Collegiate level, which includes NCAA Division I schools. Lindenwood’s other sports will compete at the club level."

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Augustana College To Add Men's Lacrosse, Hires Head Coach

Augustana College (IL) has announced the addition of Men's Lacrosse to their sport offerings for the 2012 season.  They have also found their first Head Coach in Muhlenbergs Kyle Hart.  There has, for some time now, been speculation that Augustana would add Men's Lacrosse, partially because of a job posting on NCAA.org, as well as the buzz around their addition of a Women's Lacrosse program several months ago.

Why A Trial in Connecticut About Cheerleading Could Affect Lacrosse

Two years ago Quinnipiac University cut Women's Volleyball and added (the much less expensive) Competitive Cheerleading in it's place.  The women's volleyball team sued and the end result will essentially decide if in the eyes of the law competitive cheerleading is a 'sport' rather than an activity.  Several schools, Maryland for example, have Competitive Cheerleading as a varsity sport.  Like the sport of Women's Crew, Competitive Cheer is of relatively low cost to operate, but more importantly to athletic administrators, these teams maintain a large roster size which helps with Title IX proportionality.  While a small number of schools have added Competitive Cheer to their varsity sport offerings, and some have considered it, it is likely that growth of varsity cheer has been slowed by it's lack of NCAA Emerging Sport status and the ambiguity of its 'sport' label.

This outcome will be important to the sport of lacrosse because when and if a university considers adding the sport of Men's Lacrosse, they will likely plan to add a women's varsity sport as well.  That women's sport may not necessarily be Women's Lacrosse, especially if the school already has the women's game at varsity status.  The option to add a women's sport that is in high demand, has low cost, and maintains a large roster size could make the decision to add Men's Lacrosse a little easier on university administrators. Regardless, allowing Competitive Cheer to be considered a varsity sport seems like a win-win; more female athletic opportunities, and the potential to assist with some much needed growth on the mens side of D1 collegiate athletics.

New Professional Lacrosse League Announced

A somewhat unexpected announcement earlier this week was made when a new professional indoor league known as the Arena Lacrosse League (ALL) was introduced at a press conference in Norfolk, VA.  Teams are currently being considered in the mid-atlantic region, and a somewhat strange aspect of this league is that it will be non-profit. The league has said they envision themselves to someday be a minor league for the NLL. 

The formation of this league does raise some basic questions.  Is lacrosse popular enough to support 4 professional leagues (MLL, NLL, LXM, ALL)?  Does the NLL really need a minor league?  Is the indoor game in itself popular enough to support a second league?  Only time will tell but one would think that the ownership of this league could receive better exposure, and help better grow the game, if they invested their money in expansion teams in the more established MLL or NLL, rather than try to launch something this ambitious.  But who knows, maybe this league will be truly successful, or maybe it will get as far as NLL Outdoor.

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Summer is mostly a slow time of the year for lacrosse news (with the exception of the MLL) but we will continue to post news related to lacrosse growth as we get it.

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