Lacrosse at a "DI" UND?

[DamStrait]

BS they have. That's nothing more than you speaking for a team that you don't speak for.

And this is different from you speaking for a conference you don't speak for in what way?

[MplsBison]

None.

[rabidrabbit]

As an outside observer, that has lived in the mid-Atlantic region, I think that lacross makes more sense for UND than does baseball.

Allows UND to get a spring and fall sports use out of the Al. Like hockey, it's a small pool of schools in lacross. Both men & womens sport.

UND could, in Star2city's post become the upper midwest lacross beacon. And based on the Washington Post article, appears to be need for more schools.

Unfortunately, baseball is a summer sport in ND, not the spring sport it is down south.

[MplsBison]

I think that as long as North Dakota high schools participate in a sport, there should be a DI venue for the best of those athletes to compete instate at if they chose.

Baseball and softball are played in North Daktoa.

So NDSU can and probably will be a DI venue that the best ND baseball and softball players can play at instate if they choose. If UND wants to drop baseball (probably harder to drop softball), so be it.

But until ND starts playing lacrosse at the high school level (sooner? later?), I don't see the need to bring in kids from Maryland, etc.

[star2city]

I think that as long as North Dakota high schools participate in a sport, there should be a DI venue for the best of those athletes to compete instate at if they chose.

Baseball and softball are played in North Daktoa.

So NDSU can and probably will be a DI venue that the best ND baseball and softball players can play at instate if they choose. If UND wants to drop baseball (probably harder to drop softball), so be it.

But until ND starts playing lacrosse at the high school level (sooner? later?), I don't see the need to bring in kids from Maryland, etc.

How about bringing kids in from the Cities (MN has sanctioned lacrosse), or Canada (sound familiar), or the states of Idaho, Washington, Oregon, and California (states that sanction HS lacrosse but have no men's lacrosse college program). The first sanctioned HS Hockey title was won by Grand Forks Central in 1960 (or was it '61?). UND had been sponsoring men's hockey well before the NDHSAA sanctioned hockey.

[The Sicatoka]

I think that as long as North Dakota high schools participate in a sport, there should be a DI venue for the best of those athletes to compete instate at if they chose.

Baseball and softball are played in North Daktoa.

So NDSU can and probably will be a DI venue that the best ND baseball and softball players can play at instate if they choose. If UND wants to drop baseball (probably harder to drop softball), so be it.

But until ND starts playing lacrosse at the high school level (sooner? later?), I don't see the need to bring in kids from Maryland, etc.

The NDSU softball team has three ladies from California, and zero from North Dakota. Kind of flies in the face of your "DI venue" notion, eh? (UND has one North Dakotan.)

UND was playing NCAA hockey long before the ND HSAA sanctioned hockey as a sport. Someone leads.

[star2city]

As an outside observer, that has lived in the mid-Atlantic region, I think that lacross makes more sense for UND than does baseball.

Allows UND to get a spring and fall sports use out of the Al. Like hockey, it's a small pool of schools in lacross. Both men & womens sport.

UND could, in Star2city's post become the upper midwest lacross beacon. And based on the Washington Post article, appears to be need for more schools.

Unfortunately, baseball is a summer sport in ND, not the spring sport it is down south.

Thanks for your post, rapidrabbit. With an $80 million Alerus Center sitting mostly empty on spring weekends, whybuild new stadiums when matching sports offered to existing facilities would result in huge capital savings and more revenue?

[MplsBison]

You guys all have good points.

Here's one for you, if this is such a slam dunk, why aren't any schools in the Midwest considering it?

[star2city]

For those new to the site, UND hockey fans were polled back in February to determine what, if any interest, they might have in supporting lacrosse. With 57% interested in occasionally going to lacrosse matches and 10% willling to buy season tickets (67% moderate to strong interest), the probablity of getting crowds of at least 2000 and possible 3000 for 6-7 home matches seems rather reasonable.

http://siouxsports.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=5585&hl=

[star2city]

Here's one for you, if this is such a slam dunk, why aren't any schools in the Midwest considering it?

Reason #1: Title IX

Northwestern added women's lacrosse six years ago and recently became repeat champions. Northwestern didn't add men's lacrosse, BTW.

http://nusports.cstv.com/sports/w-lacros/r.../052806aaa.html

Reason #2: For men's lacrosse to be added, another men's sport with high participation numbers almost has to be dropped. Few schools adminstrators are willing to go through the political battles of dropping a men's spring sport to add another.

Reason #3: Facilities. In the Upper Midwest, one really needs an indoor practice facility and an indoor field for that seats 5 - 15,000 for games. Guess who will have those? A Metrodome-sized facility is just too big for fans to get into lacrosse. An Alerus size is just perfect.

Reason #4: Most schools have fans that are either predominantly football or basketball oriented. A school that is hockey oriented would have a fan-base with a higher immediate affinity for lacrosse than the other two types of fan bases. What school does that describe?

[MplsBison]

Which WCHA and CCHA schools have Lacrosse?

Denver...and...?

[star2city]

Which WCHA and CCHA schools have Lacrosse?

Denver...and...?

Ohio State and Notre Dame.

[GeauxSioux]

You guys all have good points.

Here's one for you, if this is such a slam dunk, why aren't any schools in the Midwest considering it?

The 15% in the poll who thought it was a stupid idea were probably not Sioux fans anyway, so the numbers may have been higher. As always though, online polls are easily skewed. I do like the idea.

[The Sicatoka]

Baseball and softball are played in North Daktoa.

I can't believe no one caught the easy one:

Softball is not an official ND High School Activities Association sport. It's a club sport sponsored by various HS in the state. (West Fargo is the nine-time defending state club champion.)

[The Sicatoka]

... why build new stadiums when matching sports offered to existing facilities would result in huge capital savings and more revenue?

I can't see UND spending $2.5 million for a baseball stadium (unless the city were to chip in that much as well so a stadium of decent size and facility, and potential minor league use, could be built). Same goes for $1.5 million of a softball field which would get NCAA, and no level higher, usage. Those facilities, at those prices, would still be below average in DI (and probably DII).

Those same $4 million would start up a lax program, add lax locker rooms to a potential indoor training facility, and probably leave money for suite improvements at The Al (benefitting both lax and football).

[Smoggy]

I can't see UND spending $2.5 million for a baseball stadium (unless the city were to chip in that much as well so a stadium of decent size and facility, and potential minor league use, could be built). Same goes for $1.5 million of a softball field which would get NCAA, and no level higher, usage. Those facilities, at those prices, would still be below average in DI (and probably DII).

I don't have the article, but the wacky uncle Sid from the Strib said that UMTC is trying to get money for a ball field that would cost 15 million.

[The Sicatoka]

I don't have the article, but the wacky uncle Sid from the Strib said that UMTC is trying to get money for a ball field that would cost 15 million.

At today's construction prices, and in MSP, would that even build a field comparable to Newman Field in Fargo for Goldie's boys? And again, northern tier, and no roof.

[Eskimos]

I find it interesting that the same few people keep talking about lacrosse on this message board. I think that shows you the kind of interest there is here for that sport. I'm not knocking the sport or the proponents of it, just that it will take a while to grow that sport if they ever would add it.

[The Sicatoka]

I think that shows you the kind of interest there is here for that sport.

I think it would catch the fancy of enough UND hockey fans needing a spring hockey-like fix. You'd also probably get a few football fans because of the contact sport.

... it will take a while to grow that sport if they ever would add it.

I doubt anyone would disagree with you. Where the disagreement would most likely be is growth potential and timeline.

[MplsBison]

Ohio State and Notre Dame.

And Ohio State also has fencing.

Two schools with unlimited budgets and every possible sport offered by the NCAA.

I can't believe no one caught the easy one:

Softball is not an official ND High School Activities Association sport. It's a club sport sponsored by various HS in the state. (West Fargo is the nine-time defending state club champion.)

Whoops, bad assumption by me.

I suppose that explains the lack of college level softball players from ND.

[star2city]

U of Florida adds Women's Lacrosse

When UF begins competition, it likely will do so as a member of the American Lacrosse Conference, currently a seven-team league that includes Vanderbilt, the lone Southeastern Conference school competing in the sport. The ALC champ earns an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, which features 16 of the sport's 80 teams.

The Gators plan to start play on a new home field to be built at an undetermined on-campus location. If such a facility is completed, UF would join the University of Denver as the lone Division I schools with lacrosse-only stadiums.

Part of the stadium funding, as well as other start-up costs, will come from the $1.28 million the athletic department expects to earn from the additional football game allowed by the NCAA starting this year.

Quite an endorsement for lacrosse - a big-time SEC school starting a lacrosse program without the SEC conference to compete in. In addition, its a big geographic jump since the closest lacrosse schools are in North Carolina. Although Miami is starting a lacrosse team next year, but they would play in the ACC.

So Florida will join a "northern" league that has teams in Ohio, Illinois, and Pennsylvania. Although Florida in the women's American Lacrosse Conferene would practically eliminate UND from consideration in that same conference, the men's Great Western Lacrosse League still has slots open.

[MplsBison]

How can lacrosse compete in Florida with track,baseball, golf, etc.?

[star2city]

How can lacrosse compete in Florida with track,baseball, golf, etc.?

Doubt women's lacrosse would ever "compete" for fans like men's baseball there. But Lax is s catching on with the high schools in Florida.

[dakotadan]

U of Florida adds Women's Lacrosse

Discussions about adding a women's sport began as early as 2003, UF Associate Athletic Director Lynda Tealer said. Rowing, bowling, equestrian and water polo were candidates to become the first Gators addition since softball in 1997.

So they picked lacrosse over equestrian, hmmmm.

[MplsBison]

Doubt women's lacrosse would ever "compete" for fans like men's baseball there. But Lax is s catching on with the high schools in Florida.

That what I meant, at the high school level, not at the university itself.

High school lacrosse is picking up in Florida? How can it compete with high school baseball/softball, track, golf, etc.?