Sideline Chatter: September 2009 Responses
What major college should add lacrosse as a varsity sport?
The year 2010 stands to be a banner one for college
lacrosse.
The University of Florida women’s team makes its highly
anticipated debut, and Jacksonville University will push the gender
equity-challenged NCAA Division I men’s lacrosse ranks to 60.
The Big East Conference sponsors men’s lacrosse in 2010 and
brings with it the clamoring for other big-time universities to
take the plunge.
The time is ripe.
LM wants to know where you would place the next major-college
varsity lacrosse team.
THIS MONTH'S WINNER
|
Catherine Connerty, Norwell, Mass.
Some colleges don’t have lacrosse?! What?! That’s
messed up. Who doesn’t have lacrosse? I want names!
Catherine will receive the new 2010 adidas WH.110 Head (below). Approved for NCAA and USL rules, its low sidewall increases pocket depth and enhanced throat shape allows better cradling and control. More at adidas.com/lacrosse.
While I am a Big East fan (UConn or Pitt would be great), for
the growth of the sport, Georgia Tech has to be the choice. Four
teams in the ACC is a joke. Lacrosse is really picking up steam in
metro Atlanta, with more and more high school programs being
started. Tech would add another ACC team and put lacrosse over the
top here in Georgia.
-- David McCrina, Villa Rica, Ga.
University of Utah. The sport is growing like wildfire in the
state at the high school level. It is time for a major college to
step up for both women’s and men’s lacrosse as a
varsity sport.
-- Larry Ferdig, Riverton, Utah
Columbia, where are you? The only Ivy League school to not have
men’s lacrosse! Columbia should step up and introduce
lacrosse.
-- Jamie Booth, Pflugerville, Texas
There will not be a major Division I school adding lacrosse for
some time, as a result of so much money going into and coming from
football. Expansion will come from mid-major conferences. There is
more room in the CAA for growth with schools like UNC-Wilmington
and George Mason that do not have football. Miami (Ohio), though it
has football, would be a good fit with its academics and
facilities. But the best fit would be Loyola of Chicago. Lacrosse
at the high school level is huge in the greater Chicago area, with
nearby states (especially Minnesota) now sending players to the
East to play D-I. Loyola has the size, academics and prestige to
bring in great players from across the country, allowing it to
become competitive right away. It already has the facilities in
place with a turf field. Loyola is a desirable school in a
desirable area for both male and female lacrosse players and
students.
-- Greg Stocks, Painesville, Ohio
The University of Florida should expand to include men’s
lacrosse. They are good at most others sports and, if it gets
popular enough, then who knows — maybe Tim Tebow will try to
do an Air Gait.
-- Steven Myers, Pottstown, Pa.
University of Michigan. With back-to-back MCLA championships, the
time is ripe for the Michigan athletic department to step up to the
plate. That would give the Big Ten three programs in NCAA D-I.
-- Greg Wall, Clay, N.Y.
The University of New Hampshire needs to restore that once-solid
men’s program.
-- Sam Reed, Alexandria, Va.
Southern Methodist University. Why? They have a great club team
and (from an inside source) are on the cusp of going to D-I. I
think the Mustangs would be a great addition to college lax. Pony
up!
-- Will Thomasco, Jupiter, Fla.
I’d like to see some high-profile California schools start
lacrosse programs. Who wouldn’t like to see USC vs. UCLA in a
lacrosse game?
-- Rick Johnson, Pasadena, Md.
If there is any school in Maryland that doesn’t have a
lacrosse team, that’s not right. Taking lacrosse away from
Maryland is like taking fried food from Nebraska. It’s just
wrong.
-- Clayton Ziemke, Wheatbride, Colo.
Michigan, so we can bring that Big Ten rivalry with Ohio State to
another sport.
-- Jacob Johnson, Saginaw, Mich.
What do you mean, what college? Everyone should play lacrosse. It
rocks!
-- Duncan Lement, Cedar Hills, Utah
While lacrosse is rapidly spreading on the West Coast and in the
southern U.S., many areas of the Midwest are not matching this
level of progress. What better catalyst to promote the game than to
see the Big 12 Conference add a few teams? This would bring talent
from the tradition-laden East Coast and blossoming West Coast
lacrosse scenes to areas such as Kansas and Missouri and other
prairie states. The players would bring with them their knowledge
of the game and create excitement to budding youth and high school
programs in need of leadership, thus sparking the flame of growth
for this great sport to a region falling behind on the national
level.
-- Andy Elmer, Kansas City, Mo.
With the explosive growth and maturation seen in non-varsity
schools over the last few years, I wouldn’t be surprised to
see one of the top teams from the MCLA make the leap soon –
say BYU, Florida State, Michigan or Boston College. These teams
have built institutionally strong programs and are already tapping
into the recruiting pools of some of the larger hotbeds in the
nation.
-- Will Moss, Hamilton, Mont.
Michigan, so they can get their asses kicked by a real team.
-- Sid DaSloth, via Facebook
How about Michigan and Appalachian State both adding teams the
same year? I think we all know how that one would end up too. Give
‘em hell, Apps!
-- John Gibbs, via Facebook
The University of Texas. More southern than most of the big
lacrosse teams, but they probably could be just as good as them.
Lacrosse has become an increasingly popular sport in Texas.
Personally, most of the boys and girls are just as good in Texas as
they are in New York.
-- Auggie Buerkle, Austin, Texas
No brainer -- University of Michigan
-- Paul Johnson, Toledo, Ohio
1. Wake Forest would add the fifth mens' and the seventh women's
teams to ACC lacrosse, which should "encourage" other ACC schools
to also add lacrosse. WFU lacrosse may put the most pressure on
NCSU (which would be the ONLY ACC school in NC without lacrosse) to
return to varsity lacrosse, which it abandoned in 1982. 2. The NC
High School Athletic Association sanctioned both boys' and girls'
lacrosse starting with the 2009-10 season. More NC high school
seniors will play lacrosse and be interested playing the game in
college. 3. The "official blog of WakeForestSports.com" (http://godeacons.blogspot.com/2009/05/poll-results-week-of-may-11.html)
states that lacrosse received 72 percent of a May 2009 vote as to
which sport WFU should add next.
-- Baue McCaffray, Wilmington, N.C.
A picture is worth a thousand words. I would love to see that
University of Connecticut player you had pictures of competing at a
varsity level in the Big East! It is time for the University of
Connecticut to add men’s lacrosse as a varsity sport. The Big
East Conference already has some very good programs, and as a
Connecticut resident and lacrosse fan, I would love to see UConn
compete with the likes of Syracuse, Georgetown, Notre Dame,
Providence and the rest of the up-and-coming programs in the Big
East. Connecticut has done it in basketball and football, and it is
now time for men's lacrosse. There are certainly people within the
UConn athletic department who know how to build great programs.
High school and youth programs are flourishing in the state.
Let’s have the state university with a college men’s
team in one of the strongest athletic conferences in the nation.
The women have a Division I program and they play many of the top
teams in the nation. Let's have the same for the men. Can you
imagine a UConn vs. Syracuse game at the Rent! Perhaps a conference
tournament or a national championship held in Connecticut? Think
big! or Big East!
-- Joe Sikora, Southington, Conn.
All of them.
-- David Johnson, Daphne, Ala.
Arizona University. They're a huge school with a phenomenal
athletics program in just about every other sport. Why not lax?
-- Sebastien Trott, Westfield, N.J.
BYU. Why? They have been playing club for years now and have
always been good, and I think that they could be at least decently
competitive in the NCAA.
-- Spencer Lee, Alpine, Utah
Cal would be a good college on thw West to get into the NCAA but
OBBviously it's UConn. Connecticut is the home of lacrosse and it
desn't make sense the UConn isn't on the bandwagon yet
-- Max Doniger, Fairfield, Conn.
Colorado State University
-- Lee Ann Fair, Aurora, Colo.
Definitely the Universtiy of Connecticut -- it's got a
longstanding club team; it's a major Big East school; and the
recruiting options from Connecticut and all around New England
would be great.
-- Charlie Dowe, Windsor, Conn.
Duh...UConn. Why? Because the kids in Storrs, Conn., need another
reason to like Storrs, Conn.
-- San Jose, Calif.
Everyone talks about teams like Florida State adding men's lax,
but that's unlikely with Title IX... What about a big b-ball school
like Seton Hall in N.J.? They're in the Big East, so they could
join the new lax (and push the number up to the tourney minimum),
and it's got a great location near NYC and the hotbeds of NJ, LI
and Westchester... Plus they could have a natural Big East/NYC
rivalry with St. John's, and the Pirate would look pretty cool on a
lax helmet... Other big city b-ball schools could do this too such
as George Washington, Temple, or Fordham.
-- Peter White, Pittsford, N.Y.
Florida Sate , University Miami, University of Tennessee
-- Phillip Bates, York, Pa.
Florida State
-- Michael Lakin, Carmel, Ind.
Florida State and Florida, that rivalry would be great and that
would help the expansion of lacrosse grow.
-- Spencer Waresk, Madison, N.J.
Florida State University
-- Tyler Payne, Orlando, Fla.
Florida State would be a natural addition to the ACC if they added
a men's lacrosse program. The state of Florida is growing the sport
and there are so many great athletes coming out of programs like
St. Andrews. Club programs over in the Tampa area are also ramping
up. An incoming Freshman to Salisbury, Eric Dance, was a US
Lacrosse HS All-American defenseman. Florida State would be able to
recruit well due to the fact they can sell playing the likes of
Maryland, Virginia, Duke and North Carolina.
-- Jack Kreuzburg, Severna Park, Md.
Georgia Tech and University of Georgia. It is dissapionting living
in the South and having no major colleges down here.
-- Karson Bobbit, Fayetteville, Ga.
Georgia Tech, Florida State University, University of Florida, Va.
Tech, Auburn.........basically every SEC and ACC school should step
up.
-- Kurt Trampel, Atlanta, Ga.
Hell yes UConn will be a powerhouse!
-- Scott Mitchell, Nashua, N.H.
Honestly, a team out here on the West Coast should pick up
lacrosse as a varsity sport. San Jose State or San Diego State
University should add lacrosse to its varsity sports. Reason why is
because it will help the sport grow and offer West Coast kids a
place not so far away from home to play.
-- Bryce Calvo, Oceanside, Calif.
I definitly think Florida should. They have perfect weather down
there for lacrosse season and overall it's a great school. They
already have great athletes from all the other sports, so I'm sure
they would find a way to make them really good at lacrosse. An
addition of Tim Tebow? They could be unstoppable!
-- Ryan McLaughlin, Reston, Va.
I support Title IX's objectives, but the implementation has been
horrible, and 27 years is too long... Bring back UConn D-I lax
now!!!!
-- Marc Aubé, Fairfield, Conn.
I think that NC State should have varsity lacrosse because it
would fit in well with Durham( Duke), and Chapel Hill (UNC) so
close buy. It would be a an accepted sport in the area and people
would come to watch it.
-- Max Hoffman, East Meadow, N.Y.
I think that the University of Conneticut should add lacrosse as a
varsity sport.
-- Liz Hardy, Storrs, Conn.
I think that UConn should add lacrosse as a varsity sport.
-- Henry Kreitler, Fairfield, Conn.
I think the University of Minnesota should add lacrosse as a
varsity sport. It's no secret that lacrosse is rapidly growing in
the Midwest, especially in Minnesota. There are many players from
the Midwest who are forced to go out east to play Division I
lacrosse, and I think adding a large Midwest school like Minnesota
would give many more players a chance to play Division I
lacrosse.
-- Charlie Weierke, Farmington, Minn.
I think UConn should be the next to add lacrosse because
Connecticut is currently the only hotbed state without a state
university at the Division I level. Aside from getting great
recruits to come to an already athletically prestegious school,
fans from all over would love to support the Huskies because of
their past atheltic dominance in most other sports.
-- Ian Wagemaker, Storrs, Conn.
I think University of Florida should add lacrosse as a varsity
sport because they have a lot of great athletes and great sports
programs and almost 50,000 students to play them. Not to mention
I'm a Gator fan.
-- Matthew Ewing, Sarasota, Fla.
I think USC should definitely be considered a possibility. They
are a very wealthy school that already has big time football and
basketball programs. Plus, you can't tell me the weather and beach
in SoCal won't attract some guys off the East Coast.
-- Miles Laubinger
I would love to see the University of Miami with a lacrosse team.
They are known for their speed in other sports, and would be a true
shocker for some of these other well established teams.
-- Shaquille Townsend, Gloucester, Va.
If I were to choose one college, I'd have to choose the University
of Southern California. Why? Well why not! USC is one of the
nation's premier athletically competitive colleges. They have an
excellent recruiting reputation and they are conveniently located
in Southern California. As lacrosse is gaining popularity in the
West, colleges may soon want to launch lacrosse programs. The
current lacrosse players in the West have to travel across the
country to play at college. But if USC had a team, many would look
to stay closer to home and attend USC because it would be one of
the first schools in the West to have a team. If USC took in some
of the major college prospects from the west, they would soon find
success in the NCAA. Apparently, the University of Southern
California should have a varsity lacrosse team!
-- Teddy Voulgaris, New Canaan, Conn.
It should deffinatly be UConn. We have a huge fan base and a large
percentage of that are lacrosse players. GO UUUCONNN
-- Pete Johnson, New Canaan, Conn.
Michigan should field a varsity lacrosse team for four reasons: 1.
Because they are a big school with a excellent athletics program.
2. Michigan's high school lacrosse teams are really good too. 3. It
will also give us more lacrosse to watch (that's always good). 4.
It will also give Notre Dame a chance to beat them at another
sport!!!
-- Lawrence Andrea, Kent, Conn.
Michigan...Imagine setting lacrosse attendance records at Michigan
Stadium!
-- Mitchell Miller, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Northwestern
-- William Tantillo, Glenview, Ill.
Texas A&M. School of super-athletes who recruit from a
national talent pool, not just the South. Plus, the dedicated fan
base and recognition from such an athletic school would make
lacrosse that much bigger in the public eye.
-- Ryan Baker, Westfield, N.J.
Texas. because they seem like they would do well.
-- Ben Lemley, Orem, Utah
The University of Connecticut
-- Donald Schiffer, Shelton, Conn.
The University of Connecticut
-- Daniel Cornell, Peru, Mass.
The University of Connecticut, which quickly could tap into a
wealth of lacrosse talent in Connecticut and throughout New England
and the Northeast and be competitive in the newly formed Big East
conference.
-- John Driscoll, Connecticut
The University of Minnesota should because it would help more
people in Minnesota get into lacrosse. It is growing a lot up here
and with the U adding it as a varsity sport, the whole state would
be introduced to it. The U of M is by far the largest and most
well-known university in Minnesota and if it added lacrosse, I'm
sure other colleges and high schools in the Midwest would add it as
well.
-- Allison Miller, Minneapolis, Minn.
U-C-O-N-N, UCONN! UCONN! UCONN!
-- D. Levene, Storrs, Conn.
UConn
-- Matt Prewitt, Naugatuck, Conn.
UConn
-- Javier Silva, Stamford, Conn.
UConn
-- Jake Isbrandtsen, Greenwich, Conn.
UConn
-- Tate Wingate, New York, N.Y.
UConn
-- Sean Walsh, Stamford, Conn.
UConn
-- Justin Oliver, Mystic, Conn.
UConn
-- Anthony Conderino, Simsbury, Conn.
UConn
-- Manuel Esteves, Derby, Conn.
UConn
-- Brian Steger, Fairfield, Conn.
UConn
-- John Heard, Greenwich, Conn.
UConn
-- Mike Defaria, East Lyme, Conn.
UConn
-- Jack Reed, Fairfield, Conn.
UConn
-- Sean Gildea, New Canaan, Conn.
UConn
-- Sean Manley, Newton, Mass.
UConn
-- Stephen Mothes, Deerfield, N.H.
UConn
-- Justin Wilt, Ledyard, Conn.
UConn
-- Tim Joy, Niantic, Conn.
UConn
-- Kyle Murray, Stamford, Conn.
UConn
-- Nate Tembi, Ellington, Conn.
UConn
-- Bill Fitzmaurice, Hamden, Conn.
UConn
-- Victor Backus, Norwalk, Conn.
UConn
-- Curt Townshend, New Canaan, Conn.
UConn
-- Joshua Berger, Wyckoff, N.J.
UConn
-- Dean Ober, Simsbury, Conn.
UConn
-- Rolando Farmakis, Wilton, Conn.
UConn
-- Emily Ann, Stonington, Conn.
UConn Baby!
-- Stephen Apgar, Connecticut
UConn, because think of all the great CT laxers that play for CT
summer teams such as Bulldogs and Chargers. The Bulldogs winning
the Brine Shootout really put Conneticut on the map and now we need
to follow through with a great college program. And did I mention
it would make the Big East a sick conference?
-- Mike Rose, Old Saybrook, Conn.
UConn for sure.
-- John Ryan, Longmeadow, Mass.
UConn for sure.
-- Vaughn Haupt, Groton, Conn.
UConn
-- Austin Sandvik, New Canaan, Conn.
UConn
-- Lee Dooley, Portsmouth, R.I.
UConn is a strong candidate to step up to Div. I, but I think
Boston College is a more likely candidate. The Eagles are currently
playing club lacrosse but competed as Div. I back in the day.
-- Mike Colavecchio, Farmington, Conn.
UConn is one of the biggest sport schools around. If they dont
turn D-I, nobody should.
-- Hugh Neri, Clinton, Conn.
UConn is ready to go D-I. The program has been on the rise with
the skills of incoming freshmen improving greatly every year. Known
as a great athletic school, it only makes sense for UConn to add
lacrosse as another sport.
-- Junk Stat, Storrs, Conn.
UConn Men's Lacrosse!!!
-- Stefanie Giuletti, Boston, Mass.
UConn no doubt.
-- John Dehm, Trumbull, Conn.
UConn should add men's Division I lacrosse!
-- Frank Wells, Fairfield, Conn.
UConn should definetly be the next major college to field a
Division I men's lax team. With CT coming up strong on the lacrosse
map, it is only right to have the major university sponsor Division
I lacrosse. If Ohio State already has D-I lax, UConn is way
behind.
-- Eric Uhl, Simsbury, Conn.
UConn, they're a serious team with serious goals with serious
kids. Very serious.
-- Rylan Homscheid, Westport, Conn.
UConn, with all the lax played in this state and so many top
programs, too much talent leaves the state, though Fairfield U. is
reaping the benefits of getting many local kids.
-- Dan G., Fairfield, Conn.
UConn. There is no reasoning to be said. Everyone knows UConn
needs a team and will compete at a high level.
-- Justin Lappen, Tolland, Conn.
UConn. With the success of the university's basketball, football
and soccer teams, there is no reason UConn doesn't return to
Division I lacrosse. Connecticut supplies many top teams with
talented players at the collegiate level; it's time some of them
stayed to play for a marquee team in their home state.
-- Rob Gildersleeve, Storrs, Conn.
UConn... They already have an established team at the club
level... It only makes sense.
-- Patrick Bushnell, Tolland, Conn.
Univeristy of Connecticut
-- Bob Gustavson, Siloam Springs, Ariz.
University of Connecticut
-- Ashley Burness, Hampton, N.H.
University of Connecticut
-- Andrew Veilleux, Willington, Conn.
University of Connecticut
-- Brandon Pepe, Orange, Conn.
University of Connecticut
-- Storrs, Conn.
University of Connecticut
-- Mike Williams, Clinton, Conn.
University of Connecticut
-- West Hartford, Conn.
University of Connecticut (UConn)
-- Kathleen Burns, Binghamton, N.Y.
University of Connecticut Huskies. It is expected that if UConn
were to get a varsity lacrosse program that many of the studs
throughout the state would want to stay local and tear it up.
Connecticut can rank with the best of them in terms of being a
hotbed for lacrosse. Competing against such teams as Georgetown,
'Cuse and Notre Dame would provide some great games that stem from
bitter rivalries.
-- Chris Gugino, West Hartford, Conn.
University of Connecticut. We're a big school with big
expectations... always. Add men's lax and you'll get fans. More
fans is more fun and more fans equal more publicity to the sport in
general. Like we've seen with Hasheem Thabeet, go big.
-- Katie Heibeck, Redding, Conn.
University of Illinois – Champaign
-- Jason Baumhart, Glenview, Ill.
University of Miami Florida. Just think if you go to Miami and
play lacrosse, you won't have to bare cold February practices, you
would have nice and sunny games the whole season, and most of all
you would be playing right next to the water.
-- Ethan Lally, Gloucester, Mass.
University of Tennessee
-- Catherin Schlaeppi, High Point, N.C.
Wake Forest
-- Hannah Wright, Rutland, Vt.
VT
-- Justin Kestler, via Facebook
Florida State or Michigan
-- Joe Gazzillo, via Facebook
Michigan has one – they are in the MCLA.
-- Tyler Hartmann, via Facebook
Men’s for VT
-- Steven Sommer, via Facebook
Michigan State
-- Keith Curry, , via Facebook
UConn for men’s and women’s. That would be real
serious.
-- Jesse Laico, via Facebook
FSU Noles!
-- Mitch Bearden, via Facebook
Fordham
-- Joseph Desmond Hughes, via Facebook
FSU
-- Max Blackburn, via Facebook
Missouri
-- Tim D Kigongo, via Facebook
University of Florida. I mean, they already have an awesome
women’s team – why not upgrade the men’s from
club?
-- Hunter Penn, via Facebook
BYU
-- Geoff Gee, via Facebook
University of Oregon
-- Sean Burris, via Facebook
Texas
-- David Wagner, via Facebook
Plenty. The problem is big football playing schools contending
with Title IX. Doubles the cost to field a team…
-- Bill Buttling, via Facebook
Boise State
-- Nico Sferra, via Facebook
Michigan
-- Seth Brown, via Facebook
NC STATE – ACC
-- Guy Coleman, via Facebook
UConn all the way.
-- TJ Leronimo, via Facebook
GA Tech.
-- Joe Antoine, via Facebook
ALL of them… hehehehe
-- Joey Myers, via Facebook
Gonzaga
-- Bruce Barker, via Facebook
Michigan – MCLA champs the last two years.
-- Phil Higginbotham, via Facebook
UConn, Boston College or Texas
-- Eric Conz, via Facebook
BC, but their AD wants $30 million in donations to do it.
-- Frederick Brian Gillis, via Facebook
Either Berkeley (Cal) or Stanford. Cali lax is strong, and
growing, and a D-I powerhouse school can only help.
-- Alex Feldman, via Facebook
University of Connecticut
-- Ilana Eides, Storrs, Conn.
