The Growth Blog - Chronicling the Growth of the Sport of Lacrosse

Boston University to Add Men's Lacrosse

2012-02-14T20:07:00.004-05:00

Boston University today announced plans for a new state-of-the-art athletic field for field hockey and the entire BU community, made possible in part by a $3 million gift from Boston-based New Balance. The 110,000 square-foot field will be named New Balance Field and will provide BU’s nationally ranked field hockey team with a new on-campus facility. The team has played its ‘home’ games off-campus since the
2001 season.

Along with the development of New Balance Field, which enhances student life by virtually doubling the amount of field space on campus, BU announced the addition of women’s lightweight rowing beginning with the 2012-13 season and that men’s lacrosse wi
ll elevate from a club sport to varsity status beginning with the 2013-14 season. Men’s lacrosse will play home games on Nickerson Field, while women’s lightweight rowing will call the DeWolfe Boathouse home.

Full Article

University Press Release

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Will Other FBS Schools Follow the Michigan Model?

2012-02-11T11:55:00.003-05:00

On Sunday, Michigan’s varsity men’s lacrosse team will kick off its inaugural Division I season against Detroit Mercy, a relative newcomer to Division I itself.

Most notable about this Wolverine team, aside from the maize-and-blue winged helmets they players will be wearing, is that the roster will be filled with former club lacrosse players. That’s because Michigan didn’t start a brand-new men’s program, but transitioned its supremely talented club squad to varsity.

This isn’t unusual in college sports — most recently, Penn State moved its men’s and women’s club ice hockey programs to Division I, thanks to a single $88 million check. Lacrosse, however, has traditionally seen new Division I men’s programs build from the ground up, as at Marquette and High Point, which start play in 2013.
canda

Full Article

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Furman University Adds Men's and Women's Lacrosse

2012-02-09T20:41:00.005-05:00

GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Furman University director of athletics Dr. Gary Clark announced Thursday the school will introduce women's and men's lacrosse as varsity sports beginning with the 2014-15 school year.

"Furman University is excited to field women's and men's lacrosse teams and join the fastest growing sport in the NCAA," said Clark in making the announcement at the Younts Center on campus. "Our goal is to hire women's and men's coaches in the next couple of months to begin the recruiting process necessary to field teams by the 2015 spring season."

The new sports programs are being funded by a gift from an anonymous alumnus who pledged $5 million to the university in October 2011, the single largest outright commitment by an individual in Furman's history. A portion of the gift is also being used to support the renovation and expansion of the University Center.

"From our students to our alumni and the greater lacrosse community, there is tremendous momentum around the addition of these two teams to our Division I athletics program," said Furman president Rod Smolla. "We intend to be competitive at the national level, and reward our fans with an exciting brand of the fastest game on two feet."

Full Article

University of Colorado Adds Women's Lacrosse

2012-02-02T18:53:00.003-05:00

BOULDER – For the first time in 16 years, the University of Colorado is adding a new sport – and from all indications, the fit will be as natural for Boulder as the Flatirons.

Women’s lacrosse is joining CU’s athletic lineup, with competition scheduled to begin in the spring of 2014. The addition of women’s lacrosse will push CU’s number of sports to 17, a figure that includes women’s competition in basketball, volleyball, soccer, tennis, golf, skiing, cross country and track and field.

Before briefing the school’s Board of Regents on Wednesday night, Athletic Director Mike Bohn said the presence of a “strong (lacrosse) club team on campus reflects a strong interest from students, but more importantly it’s the fastest growing sport within the state of Colorado amongst girls.”

Bohn added, “We recognize the importance of bolstering our participation numbers and meeting our Title IX obligations.”

Full Article

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WHAC Becomes First NAIA Conference To Sponsor Men's and Women's Lacrosse

2012-01-29T21:07:00.003-05:00

The Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) is making history by adding bowling and lacrosse for both men and women as conference sports effective the fall of 2012.

The WHAC is the first conference in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) to offer the sports as a conference championship sport. The conference, which expands to 12 schools in the fall, now offers 22 conference sports for its members in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio.

Although the NAIA does not offer a national championship in either sport, the WHAC will benefit from the inclusion of the sports. "It's a great opportunity to provide athletic competition to a larger group of student-athletes," said WHAC commissioner Rob Miller. "Athletic competition provides a unique college experience from which student-athletes learn dedication and leadership."

Full Article

Youth Lacrosse Growing Across Southwest Florida

2012-01-29T14:07:00.003-05:00

It is the first day of skill assessments leading into the latest season for the Southwest Florida Youth Lacrosse League, and league president Ted Cassidy is explaining the game to a curious visitor.

“The object is just what you think it is,” Cassidy said, pointing at the goal. “Get the ball in the hole.”

A few minutes later, a few of the league’s more experienced players stand off to the side while a large crowd of helmet-and-shoulder-pad-clad kids run back and forth behind them during drills.

“At school, they see my lacrosse shorts sometimes and they’ll ask why I’m wearing my bathing suit,” said Kyle Dos Santos, 12.

“Mine do too,” nodded Bryce Thirtyacre, 10.

Lacrosse has been on the rise for the last decade in Southwest Florida, even getting an audition last year to become a local varsity high school sport.

Full Article

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Denver City Lax

2012-01-26T20:02:00.001-05:00

City Lax from Justin Reed on Vimeo.

Sports' Role in Small-College Enrollment

2012-01-19T20:44:00.004-05:00

In his first year as president of Alderson-Broaddus College, Rick Creehan is overseeing a transformation of the Philippi, W.Va., campus through the expansion of the school’s athletics program. Football, men’s and women’s lacrosse, women’s tennis and men’s volleyball will begin play in 2012, and the college intends to add a marching band, a color guard, and cheerleading and dance programs in 2013. Groundbreaking on a new outdoor multisport complex will take place in April, although Creehan says that, as of now, the college has only raised enough money to pay for the turf and lights.

It’s the same formula that Creehan followed at Adrian College as executive vice president, working under Jeffrey Docking, that school’s like-minded president. Adrian doubled its enrollment and operating budget in six years through the construction of sports and recreation facilities — the two men had similar successes earlier at Washington & Jefferson College — and now Docking is moving on to an expansion of the academic program at Adrian while his former colleague toils at the obscure and unheralded A-B.

Full Article

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Robert Morris University (IL - NAIA) Adds Lacrosse, Hires Coach

2012-01-19T20:07:00.006-05:00

Chicago, IL – Robert Morris University has announced the hiring of Drew Stevenson to coach the school’s first ever Men’s Lacrosse program. The program is scheduled to begin competition in the spring of 2013.

Drew Stevenson’s lacrosse coaching philosophy is summed up in just a few words – Family – Academics – Commitment – Discipline. Now he is embarking on a new challenge to instill this philosophy and develop the Men’s Lacrosse program at Robert Morris University in downtown Chicago.

Full Article

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BU, UNH, UConn and Northeastern Talk About Their Men's Lacrosse Futures

2012-01-13T21:55:00.007-05:00

In this months issue of New England Lacrosse Journal Braden Campbell asks New England colleges without Men's Lacrosse if they can see the sport in their future and gets some interesting answers.

Boston University A.D. Mike Lynch

"I would say it's very serious, I would say that we're in the final stages of decision-making in terms of whether or not it's something that BU would add in the near term"

Northeastern A.D. Peter Roby

"We've had people that are involved in the program, especially on the men's side, who have come to us and inquired, (and) alumni who have indicated interest. I think just given the popularity of lacrosse as a sport, given where we're located, and coming off the heels of our decisions around football, I think it was natural for people to start speculating."

UConn Associate A.D. Mike Enright

"We realize it's an up-and-coming sport, but we have 24 sports, we have a large budget. We're not looking to add any sports right now."

New Hampshire A.D. Marty Scarano

"I think we all believe - and my president is particularly fond of lacrosse - that it would be a great fit for us. Unfortunately, we just can't afford it. We're holding on desperately to what we have right now. I'm optimistic that when women's lacrosse gets into the tournament and gets going, that it's going to inspire more of the male side to get on board with this. We have a number of alumns that had done very well, they're smart businessmen. If we can get a number of those people together, maybe we can start trying to figure this out."

Boston College and Stonehill College also were referenced in the article as stating they had no plans to elevate their teams to varsity status.

NAIA Getting Close to 'Magic Number'

2012-01-13T20:51:00.003-05:00

Over the past three to four years one sport has begun to explode across the NAIA landscape. No its not bowling, which was recently approved as an emerging sport, nor is it wrestling which has seen its popularity in the NCAA dwindle, it is the dominately east coast sport of lacrosse.

The popularity of the sport has grown in the recent decade, according to Jim MacKenzie, the integrated marketing manager at New Balance Team Sports, lacrosse is “the growth sport for team sports in North America. The speed and strategies of the game and how th

e game is played matches up great with the other sports American kids are playing,” he said. “Lacrosse has elements of football and ice hockey as well as the constant movement of soccer. It’s natural in the spring for kids to move over to lacrosse.” See statistics on Lacrosse’s popularity growth in Sports Business Daily.

With the majority of NAIA members being enrollment driven institutions, lacrosse appears to be a perfect fit for many. It requires a large numbers of participants and low cost of start up. Even land strapped-campuses can add lacrosse with the availability of cheaper more advanced athletic turf, the soccer field can now do double or triple duty.

Full Article

5K Run Helps Fund Northern Florida Lacrosse

2012-01-12T22:57:00.005-05:00

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2012-01-12T21:36:00.000-05:00

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Bryn Athyn College Adds Women's Lacrosse, University of Colorado Close

2012-01-10T19:26:00.006-05:00

Bryn Athyn College President Kristin King and Director of Athletics Matthew Kennedy are pleased to announce the addition of five new sports to the college’s athletic offerings. Beginning in 2013–2014, men’s and women’s basketball, women’s lacrosse, and men’s and women’s cross country will be added as intercollegiate varsity sports at Bryn Athyn College.

By fostering commitment, sportsmanship, and charity, the athletic program at Bryn Athyn upholds the College’s mission to enhance students’ civil, moral, and spiritual lives. The Athletic Department is working to find student-athletes who support the mission and demonstrate academic integrity that serves as the foundation for Bryn Athyn College.

Director of Athletics Matthew Kennedy says, “Through these new athletic offerings and a number of new academic opportunities, Bryn Athyn College will continue to strengthen our students intellectually, athletically, and morally.”

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University of Colorado Considering Adding Women's Lacrosse

The University of Colorado may very well be the next school to join the pack. Colorado Athletic Director Mike Bohn has confirmed the school will be adding a women's sport. Likely, that sport will be lacrosse.

When the University of Southern California announced in late 2010 the addition women's lacrosse to its illustrious athletics program, the lacrosse world took notice. Another big-time athletic department taking on the sport also made a case for the rest of the Pac-12 schools to

consider lacrosse as well. With the Buffaloes' recent move to the Pac-12, women's lacrosse in Boulder became an even likelier proposition.

Read More

Reasons to Make the Move

Related: Cal Gets A Clean Slate

NALL Craziness

2012-01-07T08:48:00.005-05:00

NALL Season to be Postponed

(just kidding we are starting in Jan as planned)

(just kidding we are going to split into two leagues)

(just kidding we are going to sue the crap out of each other)

Ugh

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Growing Pains

2012-01-03T21:02:00.015-05:00

With the announcement that the University of Dubuque (Division III Iowa) will be adding Men's and Women's Lacrosse the sport hit another benchmark as it continues its westward march. Dubuque represents the first NCAA lacrosse program in the state of Iowa and the first committed to begin in the 2013-2014 academic year. However, Dubuque's announcement that the program's first head coach, Jake Olsen, has no lacrosse experience except for 'being around the sport' while working as a football coach at Southern Oregon University forces those of us that advocate for growth to look in the mirror.

While Coach Olsen is probably a very nice person, and may give his best effort in coaching this program, there is still no question that he is not qualified to coach lacrosse at the collegiate level. 'Being around' lacrosse at a school that you worked at does not qualify you to be a head coach, even if you worked at Johns Hopkins, but especially not if you worked at Southern Oregon, an NAIA school where the program is a club sport. By hiring a part time head coach with no previous experience it calls into question Dubuque's commitment to lacrosse at their university.

But lets not single out Dubuque, they are not the first school that has chosen this route when adding lacrosse. Granted, for some programs starting up in non-hotbed areas it can be difficult to find a qualified head coach in their own backyard. With a regional applicant pool that is likely lacking the alternative is to pay a salary that can lure a qualified coach from outside the region, however some schools are obviously unwilling to do this, and thus you have the end result of a coach that has 'been around' some lacrosse.

So this may lead some to ask of a school such as Dubuque, why even bother adding the sport? Will Dubuque or other similar new programs be able to attract quality recruits with coaches that have little or no experience? Why even have a team if the commitment from the university is so lacking that it can't hire a coach that has coached at any level? The answer is money. Let's not kid ourselves, even though every week it seems a new school is going varsity at the Division III level, it's not simply because the school recognizes a national trend or is conceding to demand among its student body. In many cases it is because a school badly needs more 'heads in beds', and especially male heads since male enrollment has been downward trending in recent years. The lacrosse student athlete is very appealing to these schools due to their strength in academics and the financially sound families they typically hail from. The typical Division III university revenue model is much different than their larger counter-parts, and especially at private universities. With smaller endowments and less revenue sources these schools rely heavily on tuition to fund day-to-day operations. So understandably an opportunity to add 35-70 academically strong, out-of-state tuition paying, east coast student athletes is very appealing.

Now certainly there is nothing wrong with a university wanting to increase enrollment, generate more revenue, recruit in new areas of the country, and add academically strong students through the addition of lacrosse. However, a school should at the least ensure that these students will compete on a program that is well supported and appropriately staffed. If the 'Dubuque model' is what it is going to take to get the sport at universities in the most lacrosse-barren areas than so be it, but hopefully these schools don't forget that the student athlete experience should be paramount above all other priorities.

New Colorado State A.D. Talks Optimistically About A Future With Lacrosse

2011-12-29T21:55:00.002-05:00

I went to CSU from 1989-93. I'm looking forward to your tenure as AD. As you may or may not know, Colorado State has a great club men's lacrosse program. I was involved with it when I attended, and still keep in touch with it. I would like to know if you have any intention of following the highly successful model at the University of Denver, and making men's and women's lacrosse a varsity D-1 sport? I understand you are constrained by Title IX, but it's hard to argue with the fact that the state and the nation are crazy about lacrosse. Wouldn't the CSU be smart by taking advantage of the burgeoning sport, and making it a recruitment tool by embracing lacrosse as a varsity D-1 sport?
-- Russ , CSU Class of '93

Graham: I would love to add lacrosse to our list of athletic programs. In fact, I intend to make certain that the design we adopt for our on-campus stadium will enable us to use the new stadium for Lacrosse.
However, we do have to be careful that we don't put too many things on our plate too soon. We must prioritize all of the needs and opportunities that are facing us. Lacrosse, women's and men's soccer and men's and women's hockey would all be great additions.

Full Article

University of Dubuque (D3 IA) Adds Men's Lacrosse

2011-12-23T20:14:00.001-05:00

Becomes first NCAA school in Iowa and first for 2013-2014 academic year.

The University of Dubuque announces the appointment of Jake Olsen as head men's lacrosse coach and Offensive Coordinator in football for the Spartans. Olsen will lead the Spartans in their inaugural season of lacrosse in 2014. There are currently 206 Division III Women's Lacrosse teams and 179 Division III Men's Lacrosse teams competing in the NCAA.

Olsen, a native of Osage, Iowa joined the Spartans in 2011 as a coach for the wide receivers and as an adjunct professor in the Core Curriculum at UD. He Helped the Spartans to it's first IIAC title in football in 31 years. Previously Olsen was assistant head coach and offensive coordinator in football at Southern Oregon University working with quarterbacks and wide receivers (2006-10). He also coached 3 All-Americans and 14 All-Independent NAIA performers while serving as team's strength and conditioning coordinator.

Read More

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University of Georgia A.D. Talks Lacrosse

2011-12-14T23:55:00.000-05:00

QUESTION: This is a little off the beaten path, but has there been anything new in terms of starting any new sports, whether it’s lacrosse?

ANSWER: No. I think it all is a Title IX review. We have an annual review with our compliance of Title IX, and I’m sure if a time came to where we needed to add a sport, we would activate a committee to study that. But that’s not on our radar right now.

QUESTION: You get the question about men’s soccer, too.

ANSWER: I doubt very seriously it would be a men’s sport. It would have to be a female sport. The demographics here on this campus are 60 percent female and 40 percent male. That’s part of the Title IX prong there to try to mirror the demographics you have on campus. It wouldn’t make sense to add another men’s sport. It would just widen the campus further.

Full Article

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Young Harris College (D2 GA) To Add Men's and Women's Lacrosse

2011-12-05T21:35:00.001-05:00

YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. – Young Harris College President Cathy Cox recently announced the addition of men’s and women’s lacrosse as well as competitive cheerleading as intercollegiate sports beginning with the 2012-2013 academic year, following approval granted by the Young Harris College Board of Trustees at their semi-annual meeting in November in Atlanta.

“As we continue our four-year transformation at Young Harris College, we are pleased to expand our athletics offerings to include men's and women's lacrosse and competitive cheerleading,” said Young Harris College President Cathy Cox. “We are excited to now begin recruiting students who will kick off these programs with us next year.”

Full Article

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Mount Olive (D3 NC) and Delaware St Add Lacrosse

2011-11-24T10:27:00.001-05:00

Mount Olive College will add men’s lacrosse in 2012-13 and Mike Lawson has been named as head coach, it was announced Tuesday by Director of Athletics Jeff Eisen. Lawson begins his duties immediately and has started recruiting for next year’s team.

Men’s lacrosse becomes the 19th varsity sport at Mount Olive and the seventh sport to be added in the last 10 years. Mount Olive becomes the seventh Conference Carolinas school to sponsor men’s lacrosse, joining Belmont Abbey, Coker, Lees-McRae, Limestone, Pfeiffer and Queens.

“We are very excited to be adding men’s lacrosse to our athletics program,” said Eisen. “Lacrosse is a growing sport in North Carolina and Conference Carolinas, and this is a great opportunity for Mount Olive to be a part of that growth. We are looking forward to developing a competitive program and Mike Lawson, with his background and experience, is the perfect person to accomplish that.”

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Delaware State University Director of Athletics Derek Carter has announced the appointment of head coaches for the university's two new sports

Jillian Lontz has been selected as head coach of the Hornets' women's lacrosse team, which is scheduled to begin competition in the spring of 2013.

Lontz, a former standout at crosstown Wesley College, most recently served as an assistant women's lacrosse coach at her alma mater. During the 2011 season, Wesley set a team scoring record and placed six players on the Capital Athletic Conference (CAC) All-Academic Team.

Read More

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W. Lax Among Sports Being Considered for Reduction Of Out-Of-Season Practice/Competitions

2011-11-20T10:59:00.002-05:00

All NCAA Division 1 sports face a 10% reduction in competition, but the sports targeted for major cuts through elimination of spring competition are soccer, volleyball, women’s lacrosse, field hockey, softball and cross country. Division 1 football, basketball, baseball, ice hockey, and men’s lacrosse would not be affected by the elimination of non-championship season competition. Nor would Division 2, Division 3 and NAIA schools be affected.

Non-championship season competition refers to non-countable games, basically springtime development games. All of the extended football, baseball and basketball season is constituted as regular season competition and counts on their record. Soccer already has one of the shortest competitive seasons in the NCAA and by eliminating the developmental games, the NCAA further marginalizes the sport.

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Kennesaw State Adds Women's Lacrosse, B.U. Considering Adding Men's

2011-11-10T23:41:00.001-05:00

KENNESAW, Ga. – Kennesaw State University President Daniel S. Papp and KSU Director of Athletics Vaughn Williams are proud to announce the addition of women's lacrosse as the university's 17th NCAA Division I championship sport, with intercollegiate competition beginning in the spring of 2013.

The Kennesaw State Owls women's lacrosse program will compete in the Atlantic Sun Conference, which will be sponsoring the sport for the first time beginning in 2013. The Owls have been members of the conference since the fall of 2005, with all 16 of Kennesaw State's existing varsity sports competing for A-Sun championships.

The addition of women's lacrosse at KSU fulfills a commitment made to the Atlantic Sun Conference when Kennesaw State joined the A-Sun in 2005, at which time KSU officials agreed to add a new sport to the Athletic Department's offerings. At the university's request, the A-Sun has granted KSU several delays, however now it is time for the university to begin launching the new sport.

Full Article

Add Boston University to the list of schools considering men's lacrosse as a part of departmental expansion.

“It's absolutely on the table as a possibility,” athletic director Mike Lynch told IL Wednesday in response to rumors that the Terriers were considering the jump. “I would say that in the context of looking to broaden the stamp of our program any way we can, we see athletics as a way to do that and reach a national audience. There are a number of sports we're currently considering, and men's lacrosse is part of that conversation.”

Full Article

Lacrosse Movie 'Warriors Heart' Trailer Released

2011-11-08T22:48:00.003-05:00

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Baldwin-Wallace College (OH) Adds Men's and Women's Lacrosse

2011-10-27T18:34:00.002-04:00

BEREA, OHIO – Baldwin-Wallace College will add lacrosse as a club sport in 2012-13 and as a varsity sport for men and for women beginning in 2013-14.

The B-W Leadership Council also approved immediate national searches to identify full-time coaches for each team.

“For many of our students, a central part of their college experience involves being a member of a varsity athletic team,” said B-W President Richard Durst. “For those students, the opportunities for teamwork and leadership as well as the relationships that are forged with their coaches readily make the field of competition a natural extension of the classroom. We are delighted to be expanding an already-robust intercollegiate program with the new additions.”

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Lacrosse Growth a Focus of Two National Magazines

2011-10-25T20:46:00.003-04:00

.
NCAA Champion Magazine

Michigan's decision to add men's lacrosse could have a domino effect on sponsorship at the BCS level.

To hear people talk, you'd think the University of Michigan scored the biggest win in lacrosse history last spring. "It's a significant landmark for our sport," said Denver head coach Bill Tierney, who knows a thing or two about winning after capturing six titles in 22 years at Princeton. "This is huge," said Notre Dame coach Kevin Corrigan, who took the Irish to the national title game in 2010.

Full Article

Team Insight Magazine

In the past decade, lacrosse has exploded, growing well outside its traditional Eastern Seaboard and Ivy League mindset. Some would argue that the sport's growth is exaggerated since it has a small base, but equipment deals simply can't ignore a three-fold increase in participants over the past decade.

Full Article

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Wilmington (OH) and Midland (NE) Add Lacrosse

2011-10-18T18:32:00.000-04:00

Wilmington College will sponsor men’s and women’s varsity lacrosse teams, beginning with the 2012-13 academic year.

“A significant percentage of Wilmington College’s students participate in intercollegiate athletics,” Wilmington College interim president Jim Reynolds said. “The College is committed to providing the most complete collegiate experience possible for our students, and adding lacrosse — the fastest growing sport in the nation — will help us continue that mission.”

Full Article

(Fremont, Neb.) Midland University President, Dr. Ben Sasse, today announced major changes to the Midland lacrosse program for the 2011-12 school year, beginning with the hiring of Christine Hatton of Conyers, Ga. as the new women’s lacrosse coach.

Additionally, Sasse announced that startingthis year, Midland will be playing varsity lacrosse as part of the National Women’s Lacrosse League. The move takes the program from club sport and provides opportunities for Midland’s lacrosse team to play varsity teams at other small colleges.

Full Article

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Indianapolis, College Park Named 2013 NCAA Men's Quarterfinal Sites

2011-10-12T19:43:00.001-04:00

INDIANAPOLIS -- The NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Committee has selected College Park, Md., and Indianapolis, Ind., to serve as hosts for the 2013 Division I Men's Lacrosse Quarterfinals.

The University of Maryland, College Park will host games at Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium on May 18, while the University of Notre Dame and the Indiana Sports Corporation will host quarterfinal match-ups in Lucas Oil Stadium, on May 19.

"2013 will be an exciting year in men's lacrosse as we take one of the quarterfinals to a newer grass roots area in the mid-west, and we return one to the state of Maryland, a place widely known for lacrosse," said Tony Seaman, Division I Men's Lacrosse Committee chair and special advisor to the director of athletics at Towson University.

"The committee felt moving one of the quarterfinals to a different geographic part of the country would aide in growing the sport of lacrosse, which is one of our most important goals," Seaman said. "Both quarterfinal sites will play the games in top-notch facilities, and have staffs that are experienced and well-equipped for putting on a great championship event for all involved. We're looking forward to what is sure to be a memorable lacrosse weekend in both College Park and Indianapolis in 2013."

Full Article

Inside Lacrosse Reacts

Laxpower Reacts

Shot Clock a Success at UNC-OSU Scrimmage

2011-10-10T22:12:00.001-04:00

TOWSON, Md. -- Playing fall ball on a spring-like Sunday in suburban Baltimore, perhaps the hub of lacrosse purity, the North Carolina and Ohio State men’s lacrosse teams scrimmaged under experimental rules, including a 60-second shot clock. The result: an entertaining, up-tempo game that ended unofficially in an 11-11 tie at Calvert Hall College High School.

“We’re fortunate to play on the football practice field, so the last two days of practice we fired [the shot clock] up, just to show the men that it’s not that different. You can still get a spin and you can still organize offensively. The key is the quick restart,” said Ohio State head coach Nick Myers. “You saw the game go up and down. That’s the way the game should be played.”

Both Myers and his former mentor, North Carolina head coach Joe Breschi, expressed support for a shot clock in college lacrosse. The teams Sunday had 20 seconds to get the ball to the midline and 60 seconds to get a shot on goal. There were also no horns for in-game stoppages, thus requiring both teams to sub entirely on the fly.

“I liked the no horns. It really sped up the game,” Breschi said. “It had a little bit of international flavor.”

Full Article

Quick Hits:

-List of Discontinued D1 Men's Programs

-Lacrosse Arrives in the Dominican Republic

-Growing the Game in Poland

NCAA To Test Shot-Clock in Two Scrimmages This Weekend

2011-10-04T20:05:00.002-04:00

Two men’s lacrosse scrimmages will be played this weekend with experimental rules that stakeholders hope will increase the pace of play.

On Saturday, UMBC will host Georgetown with the following experimental rules being implemented:

If a team is given the stall warning, it has 30 seconds to put a shot on target (goal/save/rebound/pipe). Current rules require the team to keep the ball in the attack area during a stall warning.

On Sunday, North Carolina and Ohio State will scrimmage in Towson, Maryland, with an experimental shot clock being used.

Teams will have 60 seconds (first half) and 75 seconds (second half) to put a shot on goal (goal/save/rebound/pipe) after gaining possession. A shot that misses the goal will not count for this purpose.

Full Article

Quick Hits:

-Thoughts on Rule Testing For this Weekend

-Collegelax.us vs. the MCLA

-Quint Suggests Improvements to College Lacrosse

-Lacrosse Sees Continued Growth

-College Lacrosse 2011 Released for XBox Live

-Kentucky Gets A Pro Lacrosse Team

-Michigan A.D. Brandon Discusses the 'Sport of the Future'

-Can Lacrosse Shake the Perception That It Is A Regional Phenomenon?

-ESPN Sold on Lacrosse's Future

-Marquette Holds It's First Practice As A D1 Program

Lacrosse Grows in Popularity in Snellville, GA

2011-09-26T21:49:00.001-04:00

Lacrosse is the fastest growing sport in Georgia, according to Coach Dusty DeStefano, owner of MIH Performance Training in Snellville.

“Lacrosse is basically throwing and catching a ball with a stick while you're moving,” DeStefano explained. He and his staff currently train members of the Brookwood High School Lacrosse team during the off-season. His company launched in August of 2010, and is helping athletes reach peak performance.

“A lot of times high school coaches aren't allowed to interact with the athletes when they're not in season,” DeStefano, or Coach "D" continued. “That's where our services come in handy.”

Full Article

Quick Hits:

-Hamilton College Headed to the NESCAC

-Suggestions to improve the NLL

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-Lacrosse Growth in Hillsborough, FL

-Catching Up With the MLL Expansion Charlotte Hounds

-Catching Up With the Ohio Machine

-An Introduction to European Box Lacrosse

-DII E.C.C Restructures, Mercyhurt Membership Not Renewed

Centenary College Adds Men's Lacrosse

2011-09-13T21:24:00.001-04:00

SHREVEPORT - Men's Lacrosse at Centenary will become an intercollegiate sport starting in the 2012-13 academic year. The already successful program has operated as a club sport since 2010, achieving wins against established teams such as Tulane, Millsaps, University of Dallas, and University of Texas at San Antonio.

"We are extremely excited to add men's lacrosse and continue to see the positive impact the sport has on Centenary College," said Athletic Director William Broussard. "Our goal is to field a nationally ranked program, and I'm confident that Centenary will attract the scholar-athletes who will get us there. Lacrosse is a fantastic fit for us and allows us to grow Centenary's brand both within and outside our immediate geographic footprint."

Quick Hits:

-FLASHBACK: Is UNO next?

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-MCLA Votes to Not Allow Lacrosse Clubs With NCAA Counterparts

-Boston College Lacrosse Player Honored at Football Game Due to 9/11 Heroics

-Lacrosse Growth at the University of Minnestoa

Calvin College and Hope College (D3 MI) Add Men's and Women's Lacrosse

2011-09-06T19:45:00.001-04:00

Calvin College will be adding men’s and women’s lacrosse as varsity sports effective with the 2012-13 academic year. The announcement is made in conjunction with the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association which announced today that the league will add men’s lacrosse and women’s lacrosse as varsity conference sports, effective with the 2012-13 season, the 125th anniversary season for America’s oldest collegiate athletic conference. Calvin has been a member of the MIAA since the 1953-54 academic year.

Full Article

Hope College will begin sponsoring intercollegiate lacrosse for men and women effective with the 2012-13 school year. The addition of these sports at Hope coincides with an announcement by the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) to add lacrosse as varsity sports for both genders on the same timetable.
"We are very excited about the transition of the women's and men's lacrosse programs from club sport to varsity sport status," said Dr. Mark Northuis, chair of the department of kinesiology at Hope.

Full Article

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-MLL 'Hurricane Games' Shown on ESPN Classic

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Chazz Woodson Grows the Game in Miami Dade

2011-09-01T20:19:00.001-04:00

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-11 Ways to Improve the MLL on TV

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-NLL's Blazers Shut Down Operations For A Year, Hope to Return for 12-13

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-Overview of High School Growth Over the Last Decade

Lacrosse in a Hurricane: The MLL's High Risk/High Reward Gamble

2011-08-29T23:31:00.003-04:00

One would imagine that this last week was one of the most trying of MLL Commissioner David Gross' career. With his leagues marquee weekend only days away and a Category 2 hurricane heading straight for Maryland, all options had to have been on the table.

Adjust the start times to work around the storm's expected landfall? Not unless you want to lose your national broadcast with ESPN and possibly anger sponsors who pay for the expectation of national tv exposure. Move the game to the following weekend? Not with Navy football set to open their 2011 season at home and with no alternate venue secured. Make no bones about it, if this was an NCAA championship game it would be postponed and ESPN would work with the NCAA to secure a new start times that could be broadcast. However the MLL has no such clout, and so every time David Gross reviewed a cost-benefit analysis of the options before him, in every scenario that involved changing the game time, under the 'cost' column was 'lose ESPN broadcast'.

But the loss of a national broadcast was certainly not the only cost weighing on the MLL staff's mind. Hosting the MLL Semi-Finals during a hurricane meant the league would take a significant hit in ticket revenue and attendance. However, it would be assumed that some fans, even if it was only small percentage of the fair weather anticipated attendance, would brave the storm and make the trip to Annapolis. The question would then become to what degree was the MLL responsible for these individuals safety? Legal precedent would likely protect the MLL from any litigation pertaining to storm related accidents involving fans traveling to the game. After all, this is America, as adults we are free to make choices such as, 'do I want to travel through a hurricane to watch a lacrosse game'. But if such a scenario did occur where fans were injured, or even died while traveling to the game, regardless if the league could be sued or not it would result in a P.R. nightmare, become a black eye for the league, and could have resulted in Gross' resignation.

Nonetheless, it is when the fans get to the venue that the MLL, and to a lesser extent the Naval Academy, become responsible for their well being. (I say to a lesser extent because it is likely that Navy's contract with the MLL puts most, if not all, of the liability during game operations on the MLL and their insurance provider.) If while at the game any fan, staff member, or player was injured as a result of the hurricane, the MLL would be put in a tough situation legally, and their brand would likely take a hit in the lacrosse community.

The league's various options notwithstanding, by the end of the work week one thing slowly became apparent to the lacrosse world; the MLL wasn't budging. Gross remained confident when he spoke to Lacrosse Magazine earlier in the week; "Obviously, if we have full-bore hurricane, we'll be delayed, but these things move fairly quickly in and out of the region," Gross said on a conference call with reporters and television commentators. "We plan on getting all three games in this weekend. People should come. There's no reason not to. The games will get in." Press releases went up on the league's website as if no storm was imminent. Ultimately there would be a slight change to the semi-final games but no mention of Irene or the fact that Maryland had been declared in a state of emergency.

As Saturday neared the league faced a mini-backlash from some in the lacrosse community. While some shared a hope for general caution as it pertained to the games, others were simply furious with the decision to play through Irene.

Concerned Citizen
This is highly irresponsible and quite dangerous. The fans, players, and the citizens of Annapolis and Maryland should be outraged. There are several declared States of Emergency. Roads should be kept clear for Emergency Services and for evacuees, but Major League Lacrosse feels the need to clog the roads and dedicate emergency units to this apparently very important championship. Major League Lacrosse needs a major rethink of their priorities, cause it is obviously not safety.

sememes
On Friday, the City of Annapolis did the same. Mayor Joshua J. Cohen declared a State of Emergency within the city limits, effective 10:00 a.m. Friday, due to the anticipated impact of Hurricane Irene" - state of emergency means you do not play lacrosse in a hurricane. It is absolutely foolish and grossely negligable.

simies
I hope the commisioner is held personally responsible for any/all damages to persons/property sustained because of attendance to the MLL events.

Khawkcruisin
Wake up MLL. You are losing fans and respect as each hour passes that you do not postpone!! A state of emergency has been declared in the state capital, Annapolis, where additional police officers will be deployed to *the public during and after the storm, Mayor Joshua Cohen said Friday. The city will ration remaining sandbags, and residents can park for free in four city garages. For those who are forced to be there because of the lack of concern by the MLL, we're thinking of you! Please keep safe.

LaxCrazyFan
Total insanity! NC, VA, MD, NJ, DE, NY, RI and MA have declared State Of Emergencies.....but MLL knows best!!?? There's nothing like scarificing the safety of fans, families, players, etc. vs. postponing the games this weekend. This is not responsible and will keep MLL as a "bush league" sport vis. a vie all the other professional leagues.

More Comments

However, there was one demographic the MLL couldn't afford to lose, the players. If the players boycotted the games, feared for their safety, or refused to get on their flights, it would be an absolute disaster for the league. But while there was some concern among the lacrosse playing community;

TKehoe15 Tommy Kehoe
Sorry for the MLL venting, but inviting unprepared fans into the path of a hurricane is incredibly pathetic, stupid, and desperate.

it seems for the most part the 'players were pumped' at the chance to experience such a unique playing opportunity.

This past Saturday gameday arrived and the weather was as advertised...to a certain extent. The rain was there, the puddles were there, but the wind? Debatable. "It was certainly very wet,” said Nationals defender Brodie Merrill. “But it wasn't cold. It wasn't too windy. It made making exchanges harder and slowed things down a little bit.”

During the game weather.com reported gusts of 17mph-28mph, hardly hurricane territory. Did the MLL get lucky? Or did they see through the Irene hype? Probably a little bit of both. Nonetheless the games were played and for the most part well received, at least according to those Lacrosse Magazine spoke to. “In a hurricane? It was great. It was fun," said Bayhawks coach Brendan Kelly. “It was a great game to be a part of."

"In all honesty, it wasn't as bad as it probably looked out there." said Merrill. “It's not very often you have the opportunity to play in those types of conditions. We made the choice to have fun with it." Even seasoned veteran and Hamilton Coach Gary Gait told his players to “have fun out there and enjoy it'”.

So at the end of the day, although some may disagree, it appears the MLL made the right call. So what are the rewards the league will reap from this decision? For one, although to our knowledge no official data has been released, it could be assumed the ratings were the highest ever for an MLL broadcast. With much of the east coast megalopolis hunkered down inside in preparation for the storm the league couldn't ask for better viewer potential. In addition many other sporting events were canceled in preparation for the storm, so the MLL didn't have to compete with the Orioles, Nationals or other local favorites for viewers. It also created a nice publicity arch for the league that SportsCenter, social media and others could latch on to. Lax All-Stars summed it up nicely “You can expect the TV broadcast, and most of the tweets and facebook messages to play on the fact these are the toughest pros in the business. That these guys are happy to brave a hurricane to play lacrosse and vie for their piece of glory. That lacrosse players are a different breed.” People could be found tweeting their amazement that despite all the cancellations, the MLL played on.

Megan Danner

No football, soccer or baseball games could be played in these conditions. MLL lacrossehurricane. Impressive players playing hard

wyatt mills

Maryland has declared a state of emergency from the hurricane. But lacrosse is still beingplayed on espn

Search Twitter 'lacrosse hurricane'

But the long term effects is where the league may gain the most. The MLL now has their own Ice Bowl or Fog Bowl, a game that will stand the test of time and will be looked back at for years to come. Where as most people can't say off the top of their head where Championship Weekend was played in 2004 and who won it, these games will be remembered for years to come. An appropriate comparison may be the Hugo Bowl. Anyone over the age of 30 who lives in the southeast and follows FCS Football likely remembers when Georgia Southern and Middle Tennessee played through Hurricane Hugo on national television. The game was played during a broadcast of ESPN Thursday Night Football with Hurricane Hugo barring down hard. The storm was a Category 4 hurricane and at the time was the 11^thstrongest hurricane to hit the U.S. To this day the Hugo Bowl lives on in southeastern football lore, and the same could be said someday for the MLL games played this past weekend. Now all they need is a catchy name.

You know the south is crazy about football when they play in Category 4 hurricanes

Video of Lacrosse in Uganda

2011-08-28T23:32:00.004-04:00

Quick Hits:

-Should Cutting the Palms Out of Your Gloves Be Legal?

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The State of Lacrosse: Alaska

2011-08-24T19:55:00.003-04:00

The State of Lacrosse features a state-by-state look at lacrosse growth in the US. In each post we'll interview individuals involved in growing lacrosse in their home state. Today we focus on Alaska and speak with Mike Driscoll and Brandon Cota. Mike runs the Anchorage Lacrosse League which oversees a Men's, Women's and Youth league in the Anchorage area. Brandon is a member of the Anchorage Lacrosse men's team and earlier this summer uploaded a YouTube helmet cam video of one of their games.

Tell us a little bit about lacrosse in Alaska?

MD: The men’s lacrosse program up here started around 2005. With the youth program starting out about a year later. We play year around, playing on indoor turf October through April. I think both indoor and outdoor are equally popular. Our men’s league is about 20-40 guys from year to year and about the same for our youth league. The last few years we’ve tried to start up a women’s league with luke-warm results.

Right now our men’s league is just a pickup game once a week. Who ever shows, plays. Our Youth league is basically the same. We usually run drills and work fundamentals for an hour and then have a 30 minute scrimmage.

There is a youth league in the near by town of Eagle River. In the summer time we will set up a couple scrimmages between our youth teams. In the winter time, we all play under the same roof.

Last year we got in touch with a Kenai/Soldotna youth lacrosse team and scheduled a little 3 team tournament in Anchorage last year between Anchorage, Eagle River and Kenai/Soldotna youth lacrosse teams. We’d love to do that again in the future.

BC: Lacrosse in Anchorage is quite new. They are a great bunch of guys with a lot of combined experience. I know most of the guys played NCAA lacrosse so it has been an awesome experience getting to play with those guys, and get a taste of the next level.

I think some people were surprised to see a helmet cam clip come out of all places Anchorage, Alaska. Can you give me a little background on the video?

BC: My buddy who you see in the very first part of the video (Connor Meyer) had a GoPro Helmet cam he uses for longboarding videos, and he approached me on doing one for lacrosse.

What region of the state are you seeing the most growth?

MD: There is tremendous potential in the Anchorage/Eagle River area. The limiting factor is getting the word out about our league and having enough lacrosse coaching support for more than 2 nights a week to keep momentum. Every time we put concerted effort into getting the word out we get a big upswing in player attendance.

BC: Lacrosse is blowing up in Anchorage, and the valley. I also heard Kenai has a youth team although I'm not sure about a mens league down there.

Is lacrosse in Alaska similar to the sport in Canada in the sense that the indoor game is more popular than the field game?

MD: Nope. Most people seem to like the summer lacrosse more

BC: As far as I can tell, no. Canada mostly plays true box (indoor) lacrosse. In Anchorage, (when we play indoors) we play the outdoor game on a smaller indoor field.

Is lacrosse seen as a more economic alternative to hockey by Alaskan parents?

MD: It’s definitely cheaper.

BC: I have a bunch of friends who play competitive hockey and I can spend more on lacrosse gear than they spend on all of their hockey gear. Just depends how much your parents are willing to spend.

Is there a lot of crossover between hockey and lacrosse athletes?

MD: Absolutely. Those hockey players pick up the game so fast it makes us one-sport lacrosse players sick. All those damn shuffle passes and under hand shots…uhg. And they’re always so good at ground balls.

Have any collegiate clubs developed in Alaska? One would think the geographic separation of the state makes it quite challenging for a college team in Alaska to truly thrive.

MD: Nope. Not yet.

BC: I do not know if there are any college teams in Alaska. As far as I can tell that won't be for a while until teams can travel for cheaper, or more competition grows in state.

Are Alaskan teams at any level traveling out of state to tournaments to test their skills nationally?

MD: Our men’s league team, the Bush Pilots, has participated in the San Diego Jam By The Sea LAX tournament for the last two years. Nice break from April in AK. Some of our players have gone out to play tournaments in New York, Colorado, Hawaii.

BC: I know the (Anchorage) Men's League travels to San Diego every year for a lacrosse tournament. I've been trying to talk to the guys about playing in Vail. The Vail tournament would be HUGE with teams coming from across the country to come play.

According to this facebook group it looks like Service High School and Dimond High School are trying to get programs started? Any thoughts? What are their chances?

MD: Yup. Those are our boys. They are the most energetic about growing the program honestly. They have a great chance, I think. Our youth/highschool team has seen the most growth over the last few years.

BC: I think that's awesome, but it isn't easy. If they can get enough interest the school may add it. They'll have to talk to the Athletic Director, propose ideas how you will build a budget for the sport (Fundraising, Sponsors, etc..) If they go in with a plan, and show genuine interest, hopefully they'll get what they want.

What are the most prominent challenges that faces growth in Alaska?

MD: It’s all opportunity. If someone wanted to double the league in size over the next year I think it’s entirely possible by just getting more aggressive in getting the word out. Honestly, our goals for the league are pretty modest right now. Provide a space to play. Provide a space to teach young players. We seem to have reached a critical mass and are currently enjoying the numbers we’ve got. But there really aren’t many challenges that slow our growth. It’s a great time for lacrosse in Alaska.

BC: The only problem I see possibly, is people lacking enough motivation to try to make it bigger due to the many challenges. You have to do whatever you can. Start small

What should be some of the goals for Alaska lacrosse in the near future?

MD: Our goals right now are to provide a place for adults to continue to play and learn the game and allow our adult players to get involved with teaching our youth squad to love the game as well. I think putting a little more structure to the program (ie having standing teams that play regular scrimmages to build a little team pride/competition) would be good. Plus we need to provide access to lacrosse gear. There are limited alternatives for getting lacrosse gear in Alaska. I think we could provide some service in that arena.

BC: I would think it would be a really good idea to host a tournament in Alaska. Invite teams from Canada, and Northwestern U.S. Schools and have a huge tourney to gather interest. Get the attention of more people, put it in the media, help make lacrosse more mainstream, etc.

Thank you Mike and Brandon! Next up...Arizona

Alderson-Broaddus College (WV DII) Add's Men's and Women's Lacrosse

2011-08-23T21:53:00.001-04:00

Philippi, WV -- Alderson-Broaddus College is excited to announce the addition of five athletic teams to its current roster. Football, men’s and women’s lacrosse, women’s tennis and men’s volleyball will begin play in 2012.

“This is a new and exciting time here at our school,” said Athletic Director Dennis Creehan who will also serve as Head Football Coach. “We will be adding these sports immediately as part of a new academic business model at A-B to help leverage growth of our institution.

Full Article

Dodging the Defense - Oglethorpe University's Strategic Plan to Add Lacrosse

2011-08-22T20:12:00.000-04:00

This past spring, we jumped on the bandwagon here at Oglethorpe University by starting a men's lacrosse program. In 2012-13, we'll be introducing a women's lacrosse team to our campus. The fastest-growing game from the high school to college levels, the sport has been a boon to our campus and our athletic program.

But the process of getting to the first face-off took a lot of strategizing, planning, and communication. In fact, it took five years and a lot more energy and patience than any of us in the athletics department ever anticipated.

Despite all the hard work, adding this new sport has been an exciting process that has taught us about partnering, compromise, and coming up with unique solutions. And we know that being one of only two NCAA Division III schools in Georgia to offer men's lacrosse and one of only four to sponsor women's lacrosse puts us on the map.

Full Article

Quick Hits:

-Outlaws Set MLL Single Season Attendance Record

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Depauw University to Add Men's and Women's Lacrosse

2011-08-18T20:42:00.000-04:00

Men's and women's lacrosse will be added as varsity sports at DePauw University effective with the 2012-13 academic year, President Brian W. Casey announced today. DePauw students have been playing club lacrosse, and will continue to do so through the coming academic year.
The addition of lacrosse as a varsity sport is made possible by a generous gift of one million dollars from trustee Steve Trulaske '79, and by leadership gifts from James K. Baker '53 and Joe and Nancy Hollingsworth '71 & '72. Their gifts will fund start-up costs and the initial operational expenses of the two teams.

"Interest in lacrosse has been increasing among our students for some time, and we're also hearing from more prospective students who are interested in participating in the sport at the varsity level in college," notes Page Cotton, director of athletics at DePauw. "Also, lacrosse is a conference sport in the North Coast Athletic Conference and this provides us with a complete offering of programs for our student-athletes."

Full Article

University of Flordia Releases Concept Video of New Lacrosse Facility

2011-08-17T23:25:00.004-04:00

Quick Hits:

-MLL Expansion Team Ohio Machine Names Head Coach

-The MCLA and Recruiting

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-Overview of MCLA National Meetings

-Delaware, OH Welcomes the Machine

Ohio Machine to Play at Selby Field at OWU

2011-08-15T22:18:00.001-04:00

Delaware, OH is positioned to become a professional sports town as the city is expected to host a new Major League Lacrosse franchise.

The league has scheduled a press conference Tuesday morning at Ohio Wesleyan UniversitybizWatch Ohio Wesleyan University Latest from The Business Journals 3 Ohio colleges ranked among nation's bestOhio Wesleyan joins crowd accepting Columbus State gradsCentral Ohio colleges abound with changes at top Follow this company in Delaware, with sources telling me the outdoor pro league will announce that the Ohio Machine will play at the school’s 9,100-seat Selby Field next year.

Full Article

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-Now Charlotte's NALL Team is Doing a Naming Contest

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-Title IX a Roadblock to M. Lacrosse Growth?

-Lax at the Olympics....in 1928

Lacrosse Featured on Spike TV's 1000 Ways to Die

2011-08-10T19:34:00.001-04:00

Beware, lacrosse stereotypes ahead

Jock Shock
Get More: Jock Shock

Quick Hits:

-Introducing Lacrosse to Cuba

-Crooked Arrow Lacrosse Movie Starts Filiming

-Growth on the West Coast of Canada

-Adding Women's Lacrosse on UGA's Radar

-Federation of International Lacrosse Recognizes Uganda

-Discussing MCLA Head Coaching Job Security
(we've touched upon this before)

-Defining the Difference Between MCLA D1 and D2

-Connor Martin Spends Time With Harlem Lacrosse

-and Rabil Does East Boston with Metro Lacrosse

ASA College Adds Men's Lacrosse

2011-08-02T21:50:00.001-04:00

Brooklyn, NY– ASA College Athletic Director Ken Wilcox announced the addition of a men’s lacrosse program. The Avengers will begin National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) competition in the 2012 spring season. The program becomes the first junior college lacrosse team in New York City. In addition to winning games, the goal of the program is to graduate student-athletes so they can continue their academic and athletic careers at four-year colleges and universities.

Read More

Transylvania University (KY) Adds Men's and Women's Lacrosse, Hires Coaches

2011-08-01T22:37:00.000-04:00

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Terry Justice, the head boys’ lacrosse coach at Lexington Catholic, has been named to lead Transylvania’s new men’s lacrosse program, athletics director Jack Ebel said Wednesday.

Justice has served as Lexington Catholic’s head coach since 2004, building the program from scratch. He was the Kentucky High School Coach of the Year in 2004 and 2005 and led the Knights to second place finishes in the KHSAA State Tournament in both 2006 and 2008.

His record at Lexington Catholic was 74-33, including an 8-5 mark this season.

Full Article

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Former University of Cincinnati standout Haley Marvine will be Transylvania’s first women’s lacrosse coach, athletics director Jack Ebel announced Tuesday.

Marvine is a 2011 graduate of Cincinnati, where she was a four-year letterwinner for the Bearcats. She was a team captain and a Big East Conference Academic All-American.

A goal-keeper, Marvine is a native of Georgia and has extensive experience working lacrosse camps in the South and Midwest as well as at Duke and Georgia Tech.

Full Article

The State of Lacrosse: Alabama

2011-07-29T18:18:00.004-04:00

The State of Lacrosse features a state-by-state look at lacrosse growth in the US. In each post we'll interview individuals involved in growing lacrosse in their home state. Today we focus on Alabama and speak with Chris Cos and Dave Link. Coach Cos is the Head Coach of Hoover High School and also the author of the blog BamaLax. Dave is the President of the Alabama Chapter of US Lacrosse.

Tell us a little bit about growth in Alabama?

CC: The growth has been a little overwhelming, it is tough to find all the coaches needed to properly instruct our eager players. The Birmingham area has the most players (close to 1500) but Northern Alabama, (Huntsville) has been growing just as rapidly and now we have programs in South Alabama (Mobile) and Auburn It really has been amazing to be part of bringing lacrosse to the lives of so many kids and families.

DL: Lacrosse is still the fastest growing sport in Alabama – by a long shot. I think this will continue for decades, provided we can develop relationships with community and school leaders. Ten years ago, we had 1 high school team, 1 post-collegiate team, and Auburn and Alabama had struggling club teams. We had a handful of transplants who carried the sport on their shoulders – coaching, officiating, driving all over the state, begging community leaders to use an empty lot. And next month we’ll be inducting the first group of these pioneers into our Hall of Fame.

What region of the state has growth been the strongest?

CC: Birmingham has the most players and has won all of the 6 state championships at the high school level. Due to field and coaching constraints last year Birmingham didn't grow as much as previous years but we are seeing programs popping up all over which has been very exciting.

DL: For years Birmingham and Huntsville were the only pockets of lacrosse in the state, and with a 2-hour drive between the two cities, youth lacrosse was a big commitment for players, coaches and parents. But Birmingham now has a league that stands on its own – with several teams in age divisions from U9 to High School. And Huntsville will be able to stand alone in the next couple years. And, although it is nice for families not to have to drive every weekend, the two leagues will always play each other. There are some very healthy cross-state rivalries. Two years ago, youth lacrosse started in the Southern Alabama area with the Lower Alabama Lacrosse league, and this past Spring we launched the Auburn Youth Lacrosse League with 130 kids. Trussville, Tuscaloosa, and Mobile are areas of concentration for us in the coming year.

What age level is Alabama seeing most of it's growth? Youth? High school?

CC: We are seeing the greatest growth at the younger age groups, especially U13 and U15. On the boy's side U9 and U11 are growing each year but we still struggle to get girls at those younger age groups but it's probably just a matter of time until the girls catch up.

DL: The greatest growth is definitely in the youth divisions. When my son started playing in 2004, he played on the only U11 team in the state. We had to drive 3 hours to Atlanta to find an opponent. When another U11 team started the next year, the two teams played each other every Thursday night for 2 months. I think every one of his teammates from that team is still playing – I see them constantly with their stick still in hand.

Hoover High School has dominated for many years until this past year. Is this a sign of parity? Is Alabama High School lacrosse mostly dominated by prep or public schools?

CC: Alabama is dominated by the large public schools, Hoover won 3 state championships in a row but last year gave up the title to their cross town rival, Spain Park. Up until last year, Hoover had never lost to an in state team other than Mountain Brook who won the first 2 Alabama state championships. Mountain Brook had only lost to Hoover during the previous 5 years. Last year Hoover lost to both Spain Park and Vestavia HS as did Mountain Brook so I'd definitely say there is finally some league parity.

DL: Because we are still playing club lacrosse for our high schools, we really don’t draw a distinction between public and private schools. Hoover had a great run in boys HS lacrosse in Alabama – but it followed a great streak by Mountain Brook High School. This year Spain Park rolled through the regular and post season. On the girls side, Mountain Brook won the state Championship for several years before Vestavia Hills went on a three-year run, led by a strong group of rising Juniors that has played together for 4 years. But they barely slipped past a well-coached Oak Mountain team in the championship. I think we have seen, and will continue to see, increased competitiveness amongst our high school teams. And when the AHSAA sanctions lacrosse, I would expect you would see an enormous leap in participation and competition. The AHSAA will "sponsor" a championship when 10 percent of the high schools in the state have a lacrosse team. My guess is that we are 5-10 years from that point. These schools have not introduced a new varsity sport in 40 years, but they’ve seen enrollment double over the same period. Athletic Directors and Principals want to give their students another varsity sport option. Again, however, the only thing holding them back right now is coaches and field space.

Alabama's MCLA team for many years was the joke of the SELC Division II. From 2005-2009 the program won 4 games, including a three year winless streak. However, over the last two years the program has won 13 games while at the same time moving to the extremely competitive SELC Division I. Do you feel the program's success is a direct result of homegrown growth in the state?

CC: I can definitely say it helped but really those schools have always had a tremendous amount of talent, it has been a matter of getting the kids to come out and play. The past couple years Alabama has been well organized and kids see them winning so now they have to actually turn players away. Five years ago Auburn had zero Alabama kids playing for them and Alabama maybe had 1-2, this past year at the Alabama/Auburn game hosted at Hoover high school there were 14 former players from my Bamalax travel program playing, needless to say, I was very proud. Look for Alabama and Auburn to keep improving, the talent coming in this year is incredible, should be a fun season in the SELC for both teams

DL: Absolutely, and the same thing is happening at Auburn University. I think the secret to this success is a steady pipeline of very experienced Alabama kids playing college club lacrosse and committed coaching. Coach Darby has done a great job resurrecting that program in Tuscaloosa. But …. WAR EAGLE!

Do you see potential for new MCLA teams in Alabama? What schools do you feel may begin supporting an MCLA team in the future?

CC: I don't know about teams at the MCLA level, we'd love to see something at the University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB) and Samford University does have a club team but you just never know. UAB lacks fields and most of the other schools lack organization but it just takes someone with the desire to make a difference and a program can be born

DL: You’re already seeing it happen at schools like Samford and UAB starting club programs, and I think you will probably see teams pop up at Troy, South Alabama, Jacksonville State and other schools as more Alabama kids want to keep their lax alive after having played in high school.

How important to lacrosse in Alabama is it to have schools like Huntingdon and Birmingham Southern making the move to varsity NCAA status?

CC: Birmingham Southern has been huge for the area, Coach Andy Bonasera does a terrific job and is going to have another great season this year. Coach Bonasera has had a hard time recruiting local talent because he is too close and kids want to go a little further away from home but it is starting to become very appealing due to the program success. This year BSC picks up one of the best players ever from Alabama who is transferring from Hampden-Sydney so that has opened the eyes of a lot of the current high schoolers and will definitley help Coach Bonasera in the future. Huntington will be interesting since it is a little further away and a school that most kids from Northern Alabama don't know too much about. Coach Carey has been hitting the recruiting trail hard this past summer, every time I see his Facebook status change he's at a different camp or tournament, he seems like a hard worker and it will pay off for him in the future.

DL: BSC and Huntingdon have hired really quality people to launch their NCAA programs – that is the key, I believe. Coach Bonasera and Coach West were very visible in the stands during the spring season.

Do you see more growth in the future at the NCAA level? Particularly Division III?

CC: We'd really like to get a DII school like Montavallo University or University of North Alabama to add lacrosse, I think we have opportunities to add DIII programs but you just never know. Adding lacrosse at Birmingham Southern definitely increased enrollment and a lot of players are paying full out of state tuition so I really can't see why other schools wouldn't want to jump on the opportunity

DL: Everyone in Alabama wants to know when the SEC is going to get serious about lacrosse. The interesting thing is that Mike Slive – the powerful and very well-respected commissioner of the Southeastern Conference – played high school lacrosse in Utica, New York, and was a 3-year letterman at Dartmouth. He has a lacrosse pedigree. He lives here in Birmingham, and he’s a smart dude, so I’m sure he is well aware of the growth of lacrosse in the South.

Is it challenging for the sport to get a foothold in a state so known for its obsession with football?

CC: Honestly football is the worst part about being a lacrosse coach in Alabama. Every kid in Alabama wants to play high school football on Friday nights in front of thousands of fans and football is a year round commitment. Lacrosse players don't get any break during the spring. Schools like Hoover that are Nationally ranked have ridiculous work out schedules. Players get up to the school all year by 6AM, they have 7th period work outs, then then when spring ball starts they have practice after school and limp to lacrosse practice from 6PM-8PM. There are more and more non-football players playing lacrosse but the football players are still the dominant lacrosse players due to their atheltism, stength and speed. Nothing is more frustrating though than seeing a kid who's size will prevent him from ever being a star football player but his dream to play football prevents him from doing travel ball his freshman and sophomore season which kills his chances to play college lacrosse.

DL: I remember opening the local sports page to read about the NCAA Basketball Final Four a few months ago to find that I had to flip to page 7. The first 6 pages were covered with spring football!! In March!! We love our football down here, but kids, parents and even football coaches are discovering how well the two sports complement each other. We’ll all be watching our very own Brye French play football on TV this fall in Annapolis after watching him play lacrosse for the Naval Academy this Spring. Football and lacrosse “goes together like peas and carrots”, to quote Forrest Gump.

What challenges does lacrosse growth face in Alabama?

CC: Coaching and fields. We are training more coaches but kids want to be taught by someone who has played the game, they want to see a coach with good stick skills especially as they get older and we are limited on the number of former players that can commit the kind of time coaching requires. The bigger challenge we face right now though is that we don't have enough places to field our current teams. We were fortunate to have one community, Vestavia, open an awesome turf complex but almost every other program lacks the ability to practice more than 3-4 days a week because they share fields with youth and girls teams

DL: Field Space, Field Space, Field Space and coaches. Every time we have someone step forward and offer to coach, the players come. Far too many of our dads are coaching 2 or 3 teams – US Lacrosse has been a huge part of our growth through the Coaches Education Program. Furthermore, most of our high school teams are only practicing twice per week because of the lack of field space. Until our teams can get the field time they need, we will still be a couple steps behind areas that have longer lacrosse traditions

Anything else you'd like to share about Alabama lacrosse?

CC: I think people are really surprised when they see our best players compete for our travel program Bamalax. We win tournaments all the time and opposing coaches are still shocked that there is real lacrosse here. Alabama still has a long way to go to be consistently competitive with hot bed areas but we have some great talent and it is an exciting time to be part of the sport in Alabama

DL: In the next 5-7 years, you will see an NCAA DI All-American from Alabama in both boys and girls lacrosse. Guaranteed. The great young athletes that Alabama has always been known for are beginning to try lacrosse in 5th and 6th grade. Just watch.

Thank you Chris and Dave! Next up...Alaska

Kyle Harrison Talks Lacrosse Growth

2011-07-27T20:01:00.001-04:00

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Harlem Lacrosse & Leadership Corporation Video Clip

2011-07-24T13:54:00.001-04:00

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Newberry College (SC) Adds Women's Lacrosse

2011-07-20T20:08:00.002-04:00

NEWBERRY, S.C. - Newberry College leadership announced the addition of women's lacrosse as the College's 17th intercollegiate varsity sports program today. Emily Bikowski will serve as the program's first head coach as the program will begin immediately with the intention of the Wolves taking to the field for the 2012 season, which is played in the spring semester.

The addition of women's lacrosse is the first new sport added to the intercollegiate athletics program since the wrestling program was announced in 2004.

"Women's lacrosse is a very exciting sport and one which we're pleased to provide as a new opportunity for student-athletes to participate in," said senior vice president for institutional advancement and intercollegiate athletics Brad Edwards. "Women's lacrosse will bring another exciting, fan-friendly atmosphere to Setzler Field and we look forward to the community and our great supporters joining us there for the 2012 season."

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Charlotte Hounds Owner Interviewed By Fox Charlotte

2011-07-15T21:53:00.001-04:00

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NESN Video Covers MLL All-Star Game Success

2011-07-12T23:31:00.000-04:00

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MLL Commissioner Gross Talks Further Expansion

2011-07-09T09:53:00.002-04:00

Will Major League Lacrosse return to California? Or are more new teams headed to the Southeast?

MLL commissioner David Gross addressed members of the lacrosse media Wednesday in advance of Saturday's MLL all-star game in Boston, and among the topics he addressed was league expansion. The expansion Charlotte Hounds and Ohio Machine are set to join the league for 2012, and Gross said Wednesday the league plans in January to announce two more teams to begin play for the 2013 season.

This supports the expansion plan that Lacrosse Magazine reported last December, in which the league named 19 target expansion markets. North Carolina, home of the recently fan-named Hounds, and Columbus, Ohio, where the Machine will play, were two of those markets.

But where will the new teams for 2013 be located? Gross said that returning the league to California — the league had teams in San Francisco and Los Angeles from 2006-08 — is a possibility. So, too, is adding teams in the Southeast.

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Houghton College (NY) Adds Men's and Women's Lacrosse

2011-07-05T23:14:00.000-04:00

HOUGHTON, NY, July 5, 2011 – Houghton College is pleased to announce the addition of men’s and women’s lacrosse, golf, and tennis teams to the athletic department as part of the school’s transition to NCAA Division III and the Empire 8 Conference. These additions will increase the viability of Houghton’s move from exploratory membership to provisional membership in the NCAA, bringing Houghton athletics to a total of 16 teams.

With the addition of lacrosse, Houghton athletes will be participating in a sport that is one of the fastest growing in NCAA and has a rich tradition in the Western New York area. Rachael Snelgrove has been appointed as the head coach for the women’s lacrosse team, and she will handle the recruiting for both the men’s and women’s teams until a men’s coach is hired next year. The first season for both the men’s and the women’s teams will begin in the spring of the 2012-2013 school year

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Denver Broncos Legend Terrell Davis Shoots On Cage, Speaks at Outlaws Game

2011-06-30T20:17:00.002-04:00

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Starsia and Pannell Nominated for ESPYs

2011-06-26T22:27:00.001-04:00

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia men's lacrosse head coach Dom Starsia is one of five nominees for an ESPY award in the category of Best Coach/Manager.

The ESPYs are LIVE this year and this is the one night where athletes from all sports join together to celebrate the best moments of the year. The ESPYs take place on Wednesday, July 13th at the Nokia Theater in downtown Los Angeles and will be hosted by Seth Meyers.

Also nominated in the category with Starsia is UConn men's basketball coach Jim Calhoun, Dallas Mavericks coach and UVa alum Rick Carlisle, Auburn football head coach Gene Chizik and Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy.

Full Article

Pannell Release

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New MLL Team Will Be the Charlotte Hounds

2011-06-21T20:50:00.003-04:00

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Lacrosse gains popularity in the Tar Heel state (video)

2011-06-18T19:24:00.001-04:00

CHARLOTTE -- A recent sporting goods manufacturer study says lacrosse grew by 37.7 percent last year. If it keeps up that pace, it will surpass ice hockey as far as total participation. As Charlotte prepares to welcome a new major league lacrosse team this fall, News 14 Carolina's Tim Baier reports it's a sport that's catching on in the Tar Heel state.

View Video Here

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Recapping 2011's Inaugural Year Programs

2011-06-12T21:27:00.001-04:00

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University of Bridgeport
Division 2 (W)
Connecticut
W - 2011 Record: 0-12

Olivet College
Division 3 (W)
Michigan
W - 2011 Record: 2-7

Mercer University
Division 1 (M)
Georgia
M - 2011 Record: 1-12

High Point University
Division 1 (W)
North Carolina
W - 2011 Record: 15-4

Adams State College
Division 2 (M/W)
Colorado
M - 2011 Record: 2-12
W - 2011 Record: 0-10

Mesa State
Division 2 (M/W)
Colorado
M - 2011 Record: 6-8
W - 2011 Record: 3-7

Ohio Valley University
Division 2 (M)
West Virginia
M - 2011 Record: 1-4

Lenoir-Rhyne
Division 2 (M)
North Carolina
M - 2011 Record: 4-10

Wheelock College
Division 3 (M/W)
Massachussetts
M - 2011 Record: 0-10
W - 2011 Record: 1-10

Berry College
Division 3 (M/W)
Georgia
M - 2011 Record: 5-9
W - 2011 Record: 8-7

Millsaps College
Division 3 (M/W)
Mississippi
M - 2011 Record: 0-12
W - 2011 Record: 1-14

Oglethorpe University
Division 3 (M)
Georgia
M - 2011 Record: 3-10

Concordia University
Division 3 (M/W)
Wisconsin
M - 2011 Record: 8-6
W - 2011 Record: 0-12

Hanover College
Division 3 (M)
Indiana
M - 2011 Record: 2-10

Hilbert College
Division 3 (M)
New York
M - 2011 Record: 6-6

Aurora University
Division 3 (M)
Illinois
M - 2011 Record: 11-6

Centre College
Division 3 (M/W)
Kentucky
M - 2011 Record: 3-10
W - 2011 Record: 11-6

LaRoche College
Division 3 (M)
Pennsylvania
M - 2011 Record: 8-6

Ferrum College
Division 3 (M)
Virginia
M - 2011 Record: 6-8

Frostburg State University
Division 3 (M)
Maryland
M - 2011 Record: 6-11

University of Dallas
Division 3 (M)
Texas
M - 2011 Record: 4-10

Bethany College
Division 3 (M)
West Virginia
M - 2011 Record: 1-12

Thiel College
Division 3 (M)
Pennsylvania
M - 2011 Record: 2-12

West Virginia Wesleyan
Division 2 (W)
West Virginia
W - 2011 Record: 1-10

Niagara County Community College
JUCO (M)
New York
M - 2011 Record: 3-8

Beloit College (WI) Adding Men's Lacrosse, Hires Coach

2011-06-08T21:30:00.004-04:00

Beloit, WI – Following a national search, Bob Dignazio has been named the first Head Coach of Men’s Lacrosse at Beloit College. The announcement was made by Director of Athletics and Recreation Peggy Carl.

"We have made history with Bob's hire as he becomes Beloit College's first ever Men's Lacrosse Head Coach and we could not be more thrilled that he has chosen to join us,” said Carl. "Bob knows what it takes to build a successful Lacrosse program and he will bring that knowledge with him as he builds Beloit's team from the ground up."

Dignazio comes to Beloit from Kenyon College in Ohio, where he served as the Lords’ Defensive and Recruiting Coordinator during the 2010 and 2011 seasons. He also served one season as the Defensive Coordinator at Randolph-Macon College after graduating from Kenyon in 2008.

Full Article

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University of Richmond A.D. Taking a 'Wait and See' Approach to a Varsity Men's Team

2011-06-05T00:23:00.002-04:00

The Collegian
Q: What is your guys position with the Men’s varsity club lacrosse team right now? Any chance they become varsity soon?

JM: Right now we aren’t really involved with it. They’re registered under Recreation and Wellness and there are some fundraising activities going on to see the level of support for the program. I think that the athletic department is doing a new strategic plan now and hopefully that will be approved by the board of trustees on Friday, April 22nd. The status of that sport I think is kind of a “wait and see” to see if it whether its going to a varsity NCAA sport on campus or remain a club sport for a while.

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Lacrosse Has Positive Results in Inner City D.C.

2011-05-31T21:31:00.000-04:00

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US Lacrosse Releases 2010 Participation Survey. Sports Growth Continues At Impressive Rate.

2011-05-28T13:23:00.001-04:00

BALTIMORE – National lacrosse participation grew 10 percent in 2010 according to the annual participation survey conducted by US Lacrosse, released today. The US Lacrosse report found 624,593 players competed on organized teams in 2010, up 10 percent from the total of 568,021 in 2009. US Lacrosse first tracked overall lacrosse participation in 2001, when 253,931 people played on organized teams.

Complete Participation Survey

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2011-05-26T20:51:00.003-04:00

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Michigan Officially Adds D1 Men's and Women's Lacrosse

2011-05-25T21:07:00.000-04:00

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan director of athletics Dave Brandon announced today (Wednesday, May 25) the elevation of men's and women's lacrosse to varsity status. The men's program will begin NCAA Division I varsity competition in the 2011-12 academic year, and the women's program will be ready for NCAA Division I varsity competition in the 2012-13 academic year.

"Our department has carefully considered the elevation of lacrosse to varsity status, and we feel the time is right to make this move," said Brandon. "The men's program is further developed based on their history of success in the club-varsity system. We plan to build upon that success at the next level. Our women's program will require more time to build, but I am confident within a reasonable timeframe we will become competitive nationally in women's lacrosse."

Michigan is the first Bowl Championship Series (BCS) conference school to add men's lacrosse since Notre Dame added the sport in 1980 and started competition in 1981. Michigan will join Ohio State and Penn State as the only schools in the Big Ten Conference to sponsor men's lacrosse.

U-M's club-varsity program claimed three of the last four Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA) national championships (2008, '09, '10) and won Central Collegiate Lacrosse Association (CCLA) conference crowns in 11 of the past 13 seasons. The club program began in 1940 and was halted before World War II, but it restarted in 1965 and has been competing ever since. The program was elevated to club-varsity status in 2001.

Read More

Full Press Release (Video)

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Headed to the ECAC

Mount Union Adds Men's and Women's Lacrosse

2011-05-10T23:15:00.000-04:00

ALLIANCE, Ohio – The University of Mount Union Board of Trustees approved to add men's and women's lacrosse teams to the intercollegiate athletic program during its annual spring meeting.

Starting in the fall of 2011 lacrosse will be offered as a club sport, with men's and women's varsity competition beginning in 2012-13.

Searches for head coaches of both teams will start immediately, and once hired, those coaching staffs will spend the 2011-2012 academic year recruiting.

Full Article

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Campbell University To Add Women's Lacrosse

2011-05-07T19:41:00.001-04:00

BUIES CREEK, N.C. - One of the nation's fastest-growing sports will come to Campbell in 2012-13 when the University will field a varsity women's lacrosse program.

Last month, the Board of Trustees voted on and approved the addition of the 21st sport in CU's Division I athletics program. Campbell will be the sixth Big South Conference member to field the sport for the 2013 season, joining current members High Point, Liberty and Presbyterian, plus Coastal Carolina and Winthrop - both of which have announced 2013 starting dates.

"We are excited about the addition of women's lacrosse to our intercollegiate athletics program," said Dr. Dennis Bazemore, interim Director of Athletics and Vice President for Student Life. "This is another opportunity for Campbell to reach out and to recruit more outstanding young women to the University."

According to Dr. Bazemore, a head coach will be hired by September 1 in order to begin the recruiting process and to prepare for the program's initial varsity season in the spring of 2013.

Full Article

University of Southern California Considering Adding Varsity Men's Lacrosse

2011-05-07T19:16:00.000-04:00

Will NCAA Division I men's lacrosse stretch from coast to coast in the not too distant future? Perhaps.

The University of Southern California is considering adding a varsity men's lacrosse program, according to a USC athletic department official who spoke with LaxMagazine.com, although no decision has been made nor has a timetable been established for making a decision.

"We're exploring the opportunity for men's lacrosse internally," said USC senior associate athletic director Mark Jackson, who oversaw the addition of the new USC women's varsity program announced in November.

"We recognize how fast the sport is growing, and the popularity from youth lacrosse all the way up," Jackson said. "It's something we're really cognizant of. We launched women's lacrosse, and hopefully men's lacrosse is somewhere in our future."

Full Article

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Arcadia University (PA) Adds Men's Lacrosse

2011-05-07T18:56:00.000-04:00

GLENSIDE, Pa., Thursday, May 5, 2011 ─ Arcadia University (www.arcadia.edu/athletics) announces Men’s Lacrosse as a new varsity sport, with Andrew S. Delaney of Riva, Md., as the full-time head coach for the new NCAA Division III program.

Men’s lacrosse began as a club sport at Arcadia in 2006-07, and the Knights will transition to their first varsity season in the Middle Atlantic Conference in 2012-13. The MAC currently sponsors 14 women’s teams and 13 men’s teams. Coach Delaney’s Knights will play a highly competitive club schedule in 2011-12 as he prepares them for NCAA intercollegiate competition.

“Arcadia is very fortunate to have Andrew coming to be the first full-time coach of Men’s Lacrosse,” says Director of Athletics Shirley Liddle. “Andrew has a very strong background playing and coaching college lacrosse, and he understands our commitment to the DIII student-athlete experience. His collegiate coaching experience will be an advantage as he transforms our club into a competitive varsity program.”

Full Article

Bryn Athyn College, (PA) Adds Lacrosse

2011-05-01T10:18:00.001-04:00

Bryn Athyn, Pa – Bryn Athyn College Director of Athletics Matt Kennedy announced this week the college's plan to elevate their club lacrosse program to varsity status in 2012-2013. This strategic initiative plays a role in the college's athletic growth plan and is one sport closer to joining the NCAA in the near future. The college now offers five varsity programs and plans to add more over the next few years.

"We are very excited to be able to add varsity men's lacrosse to our offerings here at Bryn Athyn. Lacrosse has such a long history here at Bryn Athyn, and we are happy to now elevate it to the next level. Over the past 10 years, we have witnessed a lacrosse boom in the Philadelphia area and being able to offer a varsity program is attractive to prospective students" said Kennedy.

Bryn Athyn has hired head coach Jesse King to lead the program into their first varsity season. King has spent the last eight years as the head coach with the Bryn Athyn club program. The Huntington Valley, PA native studied economics at the University of Pennsylvania and went on to obtain his law degree at Villanova.

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Marquette Committed to Building A Successful Program

2011-04-28T19:08:00.002-04:00

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Baseball Losing Its Grip on Young Athletes

2011-04-25T19:11:00.001-04:00

Jim Curtin has coached Burlington High baseball since 1960, and that includes coaching his three sons who later played college baseball. Curtin himself is the son of a baseball coach.

"When I started coaching, everybody played baseball," says Curtin, 73, a local baseball treasure who has watched the national pastime's springtime preeminence slip. Baseball now shares boys' rites of spring with lacrosse -- participation-wise, the fastest-growing team sport -- and uninterrupted basketball, soccer and hockey seasons that feed year-round specialists.

Track and tennis are going strong, too.

Faster competition for the hearts and minds of shrinking attention spans.

A Wall Street Journal story on the eve of the of the 2011 Major League Baseball season presented numbers suggesting baseball is losing its grip on America's restless youth. While baseball still has the fourth-most all-ages participants among team sports in the U.S. (about 11.5 million players) -- trailing basketball, soccer and softball -- the WSJ cited National Sporting Goods Association numbers indicating that from 2000-2009, baseball participation among kids ages 7 to 17 fell by 24 percent.

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The Big One?

2011-04-24T11:03:00.003-04:00

Notre Dame Western Most #1 Team In NCAA Lacrosse History

2011-04-20T21:09:00.001-04:00

SOUTH BEND — Welcome to the western frontier of the men's college lacrosse civilization.

A wilderness, of sorts.

Notre Dame is one of the remote outposts in the sport's wild west. Only Air Force and Denver are more distant from the center of the universe.

Lacrosse is as East Coast as that thin, foldable New York-style pizza and crab cakes. It comes with an attitude and a bias against anything that doesn't conform.

All that causes Kevin Corrigan little angst. The Irish lacrosse coach for the last 23 years, Corrigan has made a career out of riding in the face of the bias.

Focus. Do the work, day-to-day. Believe in the system.
The system has worked pretty well lately. Two years ago, an undefeated regular season and No. 2 national ranking were spoiled by a first-round elimination in the NCAA Tournament. Last year, struggles through the regular season were followed by a magical run through the tournament that ended in an overtime loss to Duke in the national championship game.

Full Article

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New MLL Ohio Franchise Will Be The Ohio Machine

2011-04-12T23:25:00.002-04:00

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Varsity Status and a Well Organized MCLA Alumni Organization

2011-04-10T12:46:00.017-04:00

When an athletic department begins to seriously consider adding Varsity Men's Lacrosse the likely first step, especially at the Division I level, is to create an exploratory committee or initiate a feasibility study. Many issues will be reviewed at this point in the process:

Facilities: Do we have an appropriate game and practice facility? Do we need to consider a new field surface (i.e. grass to field turf) or other facility renovations? Do we have a dedicated locker room for this program? Will it be a seasonal or year round locker room?

Interest: What is the interest level like locally? State wide? Is it a state sponsored championship high school sport? Are youth leagues prominent? Is there interest within the student body? Is it a sport that is trending nationally? Is there local talent that we could consider recruiting?

The Student Athlete: What type of student athlete will we be bringing to campus? Are they academically strong? Will they be a good fit in our community?

Regional and National Competition: Is their a reasonable amount of other programs whom sponsor lacrosse within driving distance? Does our universities primary athletic conference sponsor the sport? If not is there another conference willing to gain us entry? Can we compete for a national championship?

Internal Operations: Will adding this program require us to hire additional auxiliary staff? (athletic trainer, equipment manager, sport information coordinator etc) and if so what will their salary/benefits be? What will the cost of game operations be? (scorers table staff, ticket staff, public safety, etc). What will be the annual cost of outfitting this team with apparel and equipment? What will the travel budget look like? What will the coaches salary be? Will coaches be allowed to hold camps and if so will they be allowed to keep all revenue or will profit be shared with the university? What is the programs revenue potential? How many scholarships can we afford to allow this program to maintain?

Gender Equity: What will our equity numbers look like if we added this sport? Do we need to consider adding a womens sport as well? Do we consider roster manipulation of our current sports to get the balance we need?

Fundraising: Do we have any donors that may consider giving a gift to help the program get underway such as endowed scholarships or coaching positions? What do we think this programs fundraising potential is? What will their annual fundraising goal be? Is there a club team on campus and are their alumni organized?

This last area is where we are going to focus. If you are a leader of an MCLA program who dreams that someday their program will go varsity, most of the above points are out of your control. You can't control what your universities facilities are like, you can't control your athletic departments budget or ambitions, and you can't control the level of interest in your state's high schools. However, one thing you can control is your own program's alumni organization. Many MCLA teams already understand the benefits of having a well organized alumni group, i.e. more potential for fundraising, fan support, networking, and overall good will within the entire family that is your program. But another reason is a well organized club sport alumni group is appealing to an administration considering a move to varsity status. Is it the catalyst that will cause the move to varsity status? Most likely not. But it is a piece of the puzzle and it is a puzzle piece that is in your control.

It is in every MCLA teams best interest to have a well organized alumni group. Not just for the programs immediate benefit, but also to ensure the long time stability of the program and to display that you are a community and a well organized one at that. A word document with a bunch of emails from guys over the last couple seasons doesn't cut it. Teams need to do research to find alumni going as far back as your program has existed. Search your universities archives, old yearbooks, the online alumni database, Facebook, Google and any other resource you have to maximize your alumni directory. Who knows, you may come upon an angel donor who may take your program straight to varsity status. Once you have your alumni list you need to take advantage of it, make the alumni feel like part of your family. Organize golf outings, alumni games, tailgate events, networking sessions, mentor assignments and so on. Keep in contact with your alumni by maintaining a newsletter and holding a yearly conference call. Send the alumni email updates on the season, game recaps, player blogs, etc. It also helps if you have a standalone page dedicated to your alumni where they can easily find information on events and sign up or register for your alumni database. Some current examples:

http://mgobluelacrosse.com/alumni/
http://www.uconnlacrosseassociation.com
http://www.azteclax.org/AALF.htm
http://csulacrosse.com/alumni/
http://tidelax.ialax.com/index.php?section=alumni

As one would imagine organizing an alumni association as we've outlined takes a lot of work, which can be daunting given the many other responsibilities required of a student ran MCLA program. One solution is to have a dedicated team officer who's responsibility is specifically related to alumni relations, research, history and so on. But no matter who's responsibility it is, teams will find that the time and effort put into organizing their alumni will be well worth it due to the potential for both short and long term benefits.

John Christmas Brings Lax to Inner City Philly

2011-04-07T20:51:00.001-04:00

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LEAPS Lacrosse from Black Box Productions on Vimeo.

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Bridgewater College (VA) Adds Men's Lacrosse

2011-04-05T17:46:00.004-04:00

BRIDGEWATER, Va. — Following the approval of the Board of Trustees on Friday, Bridgewater College will add women’s golf and men’s lacrosse to its roster of NCAA Division III sports teams. Both teams will begin competition in the 2012-2013 academic year. With the addition of these teams, Bridgewater will position itself as one of the premier institutions in its conference--the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC)--in regards to its breadth of athletic offerings.

“We observed interest and ability in women’s golf and men’s lacrosse among students currently on campus and moved to expand our offerings to give students even greater opportunity to reap the benefits of team sports, competition and general fitness,” said Bridgewater College President George Cornelius. “We are committed to ensuring all of our students have the opportunity to participate in competitive sports when the student interest exists.”

Full Article

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As Baseball Season Beings, Kids Are Losing Interest in the National Pastime

2011-03-31T17:46:00.003-04:00

By MATTHEW FUTTERMAN

Hank Crone is the grandson of a major leaguer and the son of one of the top scouts for the Detroit Tigers. Growing up in north Texas, one of the world's great breeding grounds for baseball talent, there was no question he'd play the family game.

But after a few seasons, the athletically gifted 13-year-old said he found himself absent-mindedly kicking the outfield grass during travel-team games. The problem: he was bored. "I like baseball," he said, "but it's just too slow for me."

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Michigan Lacrosse Set To Net Big Reward

2011-03-26T09:18:00.000-04:00

Ann Arbor -- To understand just what John Paul's talking about, you first have to listen to him talk about the good ol' days, back when he played college lacrosse at Michigan.
It was a club sport more than two decades ago, as it is now. But the program then was nothing like the one Paul, in his 14th season as the Wolverines' hugely successful coach, has poised to make another quantum leap in short order.
A long-awaited decision to elevate lacrosse to varsity status at the university — once a pipe dream — now seems certain, with the full support of athletic director David Brandon.
And although Brandon and Paul insist it's too early to celebrate, with necessary financial commitments yet to be secured, an announcement could come next month.

Full Article

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Michigan's Tell Tale Heart

2011-03-22T21:13:00.002-04:00

It's been thumping just beneath the floorboards of the Michigan athletic department for nearly a year now. It's a rhythmic cadence that must have Wolverine men's lacrosse coaches, players, fans and boosters holding their hands over their ears trying to silence the pounding.

Var-si-ty. Var-si-ty. Var-si-ty.

We've reached the point where if and when the university announces the move to the NCAA Division I ranks, it will be the most anti-climactic news in the history of the sport.

The concept of Michigan ditching its MCLA roots to go varsity has been around for years. It was all the way back in November 2007 when Wolverine coach John Paul planted the seed for the move.

"Whether it's three years from now or 15 years from now, Division I lacrosse at Michigan is inevitable," Paul told a reporter from The Michigan Daily. "The way the sport continues to grow, and all of the selling points that we have for it, it's going to happen."

Full Article

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2011-03-15T00:16:00.001-04:00

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Presbyterian To Drop Men's Lacrosse

2011-03-08T21:51:00.007-05:00

While no one would want to admit it lacrosse fans can't be too surprised that Presbyterian College has decided they will drop their Men's Lacrosse program. Presby lacrosse has always been in a tough situation. In 2006, shortly after the then Division II school began varsity Men's Lacrosse, the university announced it would transition to Division I. Presbyterian's administration obviously had ambitious dreams for their athletic department and transitioning to Division I they felt was an important next step. But what to do with that new Men's Lacrosse program? Men's Lacrosse was probably a great idea when they were a Division II tuition based athletic department, but where did the sport fit in the Division I revenue based model? Well it didn't and especially not in Clinton, SC. However, one would assume the predicament that PC faced at the time was how do you consider cutting a sport you just added? That would look really bad. So PC moved forward elevating Men's Lacrosse with all of their other sports figuring they'd give this Division I lacrosse thing a shot. Well it didn't work out too well. With no conference, little university support, and only the occasional win here and there, Presby found little success in the world of Division 1 Men's Lacrosse. Ironically, this past fall the NCAA failed to approve PC's Division I transition report, so all their sports will have to wait at least one more year for post season eligibility. Highlighted in the report are gender equity problems the NCAA took issue with, a possible catalyst for the reason Men's Lacrosse was dropped.

While no one wants to see a Men's Lacrosse program dropped anywhere, in the big picture where this hurts is the damage it does to any emerging potential for a southern lacrosse conference. With Mercer and High Point recently moving to Division I the talk of a southern conference had heated up. But with the loss of Presbyterian that dream could be all but dead until another Division 1 southern school steps up to the plate. Given the potential for a conference to open up the doors for the sport to the south, it is disappointing that Presbyterian used the lack of Men's Lacrosse sponsorship by the Big South Conference as a reason for discontinuing, rather than seeing the big picture and potential for the sport in the future.

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NCAA Close to Division II Playoff Explansion

2011-03-04T11:19:00.000-05:00

It was only a matter of time before the NCAA committee decided to hear the postseason tournament expansion proposals. Now that that's happening, what are the other important factors

Find out who's making the decisions? What's Exactly going on and when is it all happening? Why is right now the best time to expand? What opportunities does it provide to the DII landscape? What do the coaches think? Read below as shed some light on all the questions and hear from what the coaches have to say and how the face of Division II lacrosse is in process of getting a make over.

Read More

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ESPN - Diversity In Lacrosse Still a Work in Progress

2011-03-01T21:28:00.001-05:00

Jim Brown was one of the greatest football players to ever grace the gridiron. But many say he was better at lacrosse.

Brown helped create possibilities for black athletes by playing football and lacrosse at Syracuse University in the mid-1950s, a time when racial integration in collegiate and professional sports was still very much developing. Since Brown, the most recognizable black lacrosse player has likely been current pro Kyle Harrison. The four-time Major League Lacrosse All-Star was the NCAA player of the year as a senior at Johns Hopkins in 2005, nearly 50 years after Brown's playing days.
Two black lacrosse stars. Five decades apart. Very few like them in between.

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Aurora University (IL) Prepares for Inagural Year

2011-02-23T20:13:00.003-05:00

The trouble with being the first at anything is there is no history to use for comparisons.

So for Brendan Dawson, Aurora University men’s lacrosse coach, thoughts of what he has coming back from last year simply do not exist since this will be AU’s maiden voyage in the sport.

There are indications the Spartans, who open the season Saturday at the College of Wooster, might be pretty good. AU dominated both Illinois State University and Judson in recent scrimmages.

“We did well in the scrimmages but we saw some things that we need to work on,” Dawson said.

Dawson, a graduate of Salisbury College where he was a member of four (2 as a player and 2 as an assistant coach) NCAA Division III national championship teams, was given the job of starting the AU program in June of 2009 and has spent the last 20 months recruiting and formulating his plans.

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St. Josephs (NY) Adds Women's Lacrosse

2011-02-15T20:40:00.004-05:00

Patchogue, N.Y. – St. Joseph’s is pleased to announce the hiring of Bob Vlahakis as the head coach of the Golden Eagles newest athletic program, women’s lacrosse.
According to athletic director Donald Lizak, the hope is for the women’s lacrosse program to begin playing a varsity schedule in the spring of 2012.
Vlahakis joins the highly decorated coaching staff at the Patchogue campus with an overwhelming resume of success. At Shoreham-Wading River High School, Vlahakis led the girls lacrosse program to four New York State Championships (2007-10), five Long Island Championships (‘06-‘10), seven Suffolk County Championships (’04-’10) and six Suffolk County and New York State team sportsmanship awards.

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One New Conference and Two New Programs

2011-02-10T19:25:00.005-05:00

Western Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association formed

ALAMOSA, Colo.— Seven different NCAA Division II institutions from three states have joined together to form the Western Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association, which has commenced operations this spring. Five men’s and four women’s teams founded the association, which has the philosophy “to promote men’s and women’s intercollegiate lacrosse for the mutual benefit of its member institutions by providing scheduling and recognition opportunities,” as stated in the recently ratified WILA bylaws.
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Defiance C. Adds Lacrosse, Hires Marc Graham as Coach

DEFIANCE, Ohio – The Defiance College athletics department has announced that it will add men's lacrosse in 2011-2012, with a full varsity season slated to begin in 2012-2013. Marc Graham has been hired to start the team, which will bring the number of varsity athletic programs offered at DC to 21.
Full Article

University of Tampa Adds Division II Men's Lacrosse Program

TAMPA, Fla. - The University of Tampa athletic department has announced the addition of a men's lacrosse program, which will begin competition in the spring of 2012. The team will compete at the NCAA Division II level, increasing UT's number of varsity sports to 18.
Full Article

What's Not to Like About Lacrosse? (Video)

2011-02-09T18:56:00.004-05:00

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In Defense of the Big Hit

2011-02-07T22:34:00.013-05:00

Head injuries have always been a major concern in almost all types of athletic competition. Over the last decade it seems there have been countless studies concerning concussions and concussion symptoms. More recently concussion awareness has penetrated even the most casual sport fans world as the NFL has caused controversy by laying out some hefty fines to several high profile players. Naturally concerns in regard to head injuries have made their way to the lacrosse world, with the state of New York almost going as far as to mandate helmets in the girls game at the high school level. On the Men's side the NCAA has said they will strictly target hits to the head this year. Even Quint Kessenich chimed in in support of the new rules after seeing them in action in a pre-season scrimmage.

Any rule that makes the game safer for it's athletes is a good one, but The Growth Blog does worry that game officials will feel pressured to call penalties on hits that result in a strong impact but are otherwise legal. In comparison to the sport of football hitting in lacrosse is obviously very different. In an average football play there could be big hits all over the field, but nowhere near the ball carrier (i.e. a wide receiver crack blocking a linebacker). In lacrosse, in almost all cases when a big hit happens, it is the center of attention; the crowd oohhs and ahhs, the sidelines get riled up, and very likely every official had his eyes on the hit. The question for this year will be will that official throw the flag because it was indeed an illegal hit, or will that official throw it regardless, due to the additional emphasis on head injuries by the NCAA and the media.

One encouraging aspect of the new rule is that an official may give a 1, 2 or 3 min penalty for a hit to the head. This discretion is needed because all hits are not created equal, and some while they may get flagged, could be pure accidental. For example, a 6'4" defender slides across the crease to body up a 5'6" attackmen. The height differential in itself leaves the defender at a disadvantage because any attempt to hit the attackmen will likely result in some level of head contact. When all is said and done it will certainly be interesting to compare penalty minute statistics with years past to see if there is any tangible difference.

Hitting in lacrosse will continue to be a hot topic as the sport grows. Take the below video for example. This is a video done by a main stream sports fan who has only recently been exposed to lacrosse:

This individual makes two points when suggesting what he sees as what lacrosse needs to increase in popularity:

-Increased diversity in the athletes
-A little more hitting

Now the first one is pretty obvious and US Lacrosse has been pushing diversity initiatives for years now. In addition, many in the sport are now focusing their efforts on starting urban lacrosse programs. However, the second point is more interesting. It is something that you may not hear from a serious lacrosse fan, but may be more of a common notion among mainstream sport fans than we realize. We must remember that when we as lacrosse fans describe the sport to someone not familiar with the game we often throw around comparisons to football and hockey. Those are two sports known for their hitting, so we shouldn't be surprised when the casual sports fan demands more from this aspect of the game. It is quite plausible that as the sport penetrates football country in the South and Midwest, you will see communities and regions playing the game who will define their own level of acceptability when it comes to physicality. As the sports geographic reach increases, so will increase the number of opinions as to what is acceptable on the playing field. It will be interesting to see if a national growth of lacrosse results in varying opinions in rule enforcement. While safety should remain paramount to all involved in lacrosse, here's hoping that lacrosse lovers keep an open mind to a little more hitting.

New MLL Charlotte Team President Speaks

2011-02-04T10:02:00.002-05:00

Jim McPhilliamy has reason to be excited about a new Major League Lacrosse franchise in Charlotte, N.C. And, he has reason to believe the sport will succeed.

"The sport's growing tremendously here. Everybody's out throwing a ball around. There are nets everywhere," he says. "It's growing like wildfire."

Senior sports management executive Jim McPhilliamy led the efforts to bring the team to Charlotte. McPhilliamy will be the team president of the currently-unnamed franchise in Charlotte, he said over the phone late last week.

Charlotte and Columbus, Ohio, were tabbed by the league for expansion in 2012, Inside Lacrosse reported and the league later confirmed.

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MLL Reveals Charlotte and Columbus Will Be Home to Next Franchises

2011-01-28T17:26:00.012-05:00

Major League Lacrosse has approved expansion to Charlotte, N.C. and Columbus, Ohio for the 2012 season, according to Commissioner Dave Gross.

The league's Board of Managers met Friday and got the required 75% approval to add two new franchises.
Ideally, the league would like to expand to 16 teams by the end of the decade, adding two more in 2012, another two in 2013, and an additional six some time thereafter. The league has identified 19 potential markets to explore expansion, including Charlotte and Columbus.

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SUNYIT Add's Men's and Women's Lacrosse

2011-01-19T20:03:00.001-05:00

UTICA, NY – The SUNYIT Athletics Department is proud to announce the additions of both men’s and women’s lacrosse to its intercollegiate sports programs, with both teams set to start competition during the 2011-12 season.

“Lacrosse is an exciting new addition to our growing sports program,” said SUNYIT Athletics Director Kevin Grimmer. “With the Wildcats’ success in the NEAC, along with our outstanding facilities, SUNYIT is certainly a top destination for competitive student-athletes.”

Full Article

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Mid Winter Links

2011-01-13T20:33:00.003-05:00

The lacrosse world has been quiet lately but here are some links of interest that have popped up over the last couple weeks.

-MLL Teams React to New Draft Date

-USC Names It's First Coach in Program History

-What Men's Lacrosse Can Learn From Football

-Launching A Lacrosse Program in Minnesota

-DII Lacrosse May Be Close to Playoff Expansion

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-Box Lacrosse and Germany

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US Coaches Work to Grow the Game in Germany

2010-12-26T20:57:00.005-05:00

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

2010-12-20T20:50:00.005-05:00

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 13^th and 14^th 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.

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Marquette University Adds Men's and Women's Lacrosse

2010-12-16T17:26:00.005-05:00

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

2010-12-13T21:50:00.003-05:00

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.

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Lacrosse Growth in Turkey

2010-12-12T12:45:00.003-05:00

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

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More on Michigan Going D1

2010-12-07T23:13:00.006-05:00

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."

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Talks Underway For A Nationals Move to Hamilton, OT

2010-11-30T19:46:00.003-05:00

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

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