Boston University Men's Lacrosse To Go Division I ... What About BC?
by Brian Favat on Feb 17, 2012 8:00 AM EST
in Boston College Lacrosse
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On Tuesday, Boston University announced that they would promote its club men's lacrosse team to Division I-A beginning in the 2013-14 season. The Terriers will play in the America East Conference with Albany, Binghamton, Hartford, UMBC, Stony Brook and Vermont.
BU also announced plans for a new state-of-the-art athletic field for field hockey made possible in part by a $3 million gift from Boston-based New Balance.
This announcement from our Green Line hockey rivals got BC fans wondering why the Eagles don't also compete in Division I men's lacrosse, especially with the women's program making history last year appearing in the program's first NCAA Tournament. The women's program opens the season ranked 13th nationally.
There was a time not too long ago when this very question was an annual staple of the Boston College Athletics Annual Report. While 2011 was the first year in a long, long time that the question didn't come up, here's DeFilippo's response to the question in the 2010 Annual Report.
"No. I do not see a men's lacrosse team in the future. Only four institutions in the ACC (Maryland, Duke, Virginia, and North Carolina) offer men's lacrosse, and none of those institutions offer 18 scholarships for men's ice hockey and 18 scholarships for women's ice hockey. Hockey is a big and important sport here at Boston College, so I do not see the addition of men's lacrosse any time in the future. We cannot be everything to everybody. Hockey has been and will always be very important here at Boston College."
In the time since DeFilippo penned that statement, Syracuse has been invited to the ACC -- likely in time for the 2013-14 season -- which would up the number of ACC men's lacrosse programs to five. That's five of the best men's lacrosse programs in the nation, accounting for 8 of the last 10 National Champions of the sport (with an ACC club playing in the title game the other two years).
Given the popularity of lacrosse locally, Division I men's lacrosse at one of New England's premier college sports programs seems like a no-brainer, but BC hasn't field a program in over a decade. Here are the top three reasons cited for not having a D-I men's lax program.
1. Title IX. Gene will cite Title IX as the primary reason why BC doesn't have men's lacrosse. Title IX stipulates that a university provide an equal athletic opportunities to women as they do to men. Practically speaking, if a school participates in Division I-A football, it needs to offset this by offering the equivalent number of scholarships in one or more women's sports.
2. Funding. Men's lax ain't cheap, especially when you consider the Eagles closest conference opponent is located in Charlottesville. But the ACC lacrosse schedule is hardly a grind with 2-3 conference road games a year max. Lacrosse is a more Northeast-centric sport than even men's ice hockey. The Eagles would easily be able to fill the non-conference schedule with games against BU, Harvard, Holy Cross, UMass, Brown, Providence and Bryant in Massachusetts and Rhode Island alone. There are also rumblings that alumni are willing to fund the program should the school decide to re-install men's lax as a D-I sport.
3. Men's and Women's Ice Hockey. This is the third reason offered up, which is a classic misdirection. Other than the financial concerns of having another program be a cost center -- apparently BC loses close to half a mil on men's hockey each year (which, as an aside I find incredibly hard to believe given that the Eagles enjoy top 10 attendance nationally year in and year out). But the fact that BC prioritizes men's ice hockey has no bearing on the decision of whether or not to elevate men's lacrosse. There are several other schools that offer Division I-A football, men's ice hockey and men's lacrosse, including Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State (soon, hockey) and UMass (soon, football)
[A quick comparison of BC's athletics department composition compared to Notre Dame's shows that Boston College offers field hockey, women's ice hockey, men and women's sailing and men and women's skiing while the Irish do not. Notre Dame offers men's lacrosse, which BC doesn't.
Ohio State, the nation's largest athletics department, also offers opportunities in synchronized swimming, men's volleyball and wrestling, but not sailing or skiing.]
There are ways around Title IX, including adding another women's varsity sport or cutting a men's program. Same goes for raising funds, and the hockey justification doesn't hold much water when you compare BC to a school like Notre Dame.
What fans also have to keep in mind is that DeFilippo is the one who made the decision to cut the program in the early 2000s. No shot he goes back on that decision. Unfortunately, it'll take a new Athletics Director to even revisit the possibility of the school elevating its club men's lax team back to Division I-A.
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BC could field a competitive team pretty quickly if we ever made the jump to D1. The best prep schools in the country are right in our backyard.
Why not build our own state of the art lacrosse field on Brighton campus and call it, say, Crowther field?
by Whalepants on Feb 17, 2012 8:22 AM EST via mobile reply actions
BC could field a competitive team pretty quickly if we ever made the jump to D1. The best prep schools in the country are right in our backyard.
Lacrosse is one of the few sports you could say this about.
Agree with Brian: the athletic department should prioritize 1) winning and 2) revenue. Only can increase receipts with football, basketball, maybe hockey. So invest in facilities (football particularly) and coaching (football again). In terms of on field performance, lacrosse has a higher ceiling than other men’s sports (golf, baseball, etc.) due to geography, so leverage it (if ever financially feasible).
by Eagle in Brighton on Feb 17, 2012 9:43 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
The demographics have also changed. As has already been pointed out, lacrosse is becoming much more popular in New England. Foxboro recently hosting the National Championship.
Where BC doesn’t enjoy some natural built-in advantages in terms of geography and climate, particularly in football, baseball and golf, the opposite is true in lacrosse. The school should take advantage imo.
Editor, BC Interruption
by Brian Favat on Feb 17, 2012 10:07 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
I kind of understand this
Boston College does offer more varsity level programs than any other ACC institution. Miami for instance only offers 15 varsity sports between its mens and womens program as opposed to nearly 30 that BC offers. BC also offers more women’s sports than any ACC institution..so he has a point. Any of course supporting men’s and women’s ice hockey is a bigger budget drain that most sports are.
What’s changed over the past 10 years or so though is the explosion of lacrosse programs in New England. Lacrosse was primarily a mid Atlantic state sport until very recently . Now, lacrosse is being played at a very high level across New England and even most Boston area suburban high schools are sponsoring the sport and contributing D1 players to national programs. The landscape has changed and lacrosse would be a welcome addition and one I believe BC could be very successful at.
GDF does have budget responsibility though, so what goes if lacrosse comes in…at the risk of starting world war III, I would have to say baseball. I love the sport, but BC is at a severe disadvantage when comparing them to their ACC brethren. The local talent pool, weather conditions, huge travel budget and historical lack of success to me indicate that you could swap baseball for lacrosse and make a good choice.
I agree
I really don’t get why people get so fired up about lacrosse. I have nothing against it but BC already offers a ton of varsity sports, let alone for a school its size.
I think it’s the responsibility of the AD to optimize both the number of opportunities to satisfy Title IX and the opportunities to bring home conference and National championships.
31 varsity sports are great and all but what are we really doing here? Bringing home titles in one sport — men’s ice hockey — and happy to be there for the other 30.
Schools like Miami and FSU may have only half the number of varsity sports as a school like BC, but that also means their per-program production when it comes to winning conference and National titles is that much higher than BC’s.
Editor, BC Interruption
by Brian Favat on Feb 17, 2012 9:18 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Syracuse does not field a baseball team
When they join the conference, the ACC will have 13 baseball squads, and 5 lacrosse teams. Not to belittle BC, but being the northern most baseball squad in the conference has got to hurt on both recruitting, coaching, and funding areas. If they were to drop baseball, and pick up lacrosse, then it would even out both sports in the conference, and give the ACC an automatic qualifier into the NCAA lacrosse tournament (the NCAA requires a conference to have 6 teams for lacrosse, with the ACC getting a “pass”); though all of that is a moot point as the ACC has not failed to qualify all 4 of its teams since the beginning of the decade.
If BC decided to man up and join the big leagues, they would be instantly accepted into the fold. I for one, would kill to see BC compete on weekends in lax.
Don't give up, don't ever give up ~ Jim Valvano
I agree baseball is the most logical to cut, especially when the ACC has an odd number of programs (though it would only have 5 Atlantic and 7 Coastal).
No shot of this happening though with the school building a new baseball field on Brighton Campus.
Editor, BC Interruption
by Brian Favat on Feb 17, 2012 9:11 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Didn't know that. Good to hear BC is taking interest in elevating its program
Now about that ACC baseball tourney at Fenway that was proposed…
Don't give up, don't ever give up ~ Jim Valvano
Don’t get me started. God forbid we host one conference championship outside the state of North Carolina.
Editor, BC Interruption
by Brian Favat on Feb 17, 2012 9:25 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Epicenter of the conference, not to mention driving distance of almost 7 of the leagues programs
Though I get the point, some conference tournaments should move around to help. My deal with the conference stuff is that it moves to much, or it is just held in places it shouldn’t be. The ACC football, basketball, and baseball tournaments, in my opinion should all be held in Charlotte, NC. NOT GREENSBORO (Aside: GOOD LORD THERE IS NOTHING THERE). You build up the brand and the event by having it in one spot. As for soccer, lacrosse, fencing, basket weaving, they should move either campus to campus, or be played at areas that are going to attract crowds (Soccer at the Wake county fields has been a good turnout).
Though Swoffie and friends will do everything possible to make sure that nothing sensible or logical ever comes about with the conference.
Don't give up, don't ever give up ~ Jim Valvano
I agree the ACC Football Championship should be permanently placed in Charlotte.
For hoops, I’d be fine with a rotation of Charlotte, Atlanta, DC and New York. Unlike football, I think you can build sufficient brand value around the event without permanently fixing it to one location.
The novelty of playing the ACC Baseball Championship at Fenway would be a once-in-a-lifetime deal for the players. I realize there are concerns about attendance and BC even making it (because Bird Ball stinks), but with BC’s ties to Fenway Sports Group and the Sox, I think the event can be a success.
Editor, BC Interruption
by Brian Favat on Feb 17, 2012 10:11 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Boston Garden?
…..or the new arena on St’ John’s?
Too early?
The Fenway Group is USELESS!!!
Swofxckford is useless and Parker mentioned.
Boston is not a great college hoops town. I don’t really feel passionate one way or the other about seeing the ACC Tournament at the Garden.
Baseball, on the other hand, would be tremendous for the players to get to play at Fenway Park. There isn’t a more iconic venue in the conference, and this is coming from a Yankee fan.
Just another of Swofford’s various blunders pulling the plug on Fenway and instead placing the tournament in Durham (which is a hole).
Editor, BC Interruption
by Brian Favat on Feb 17, 2012 10:34 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
There’s a difference between budgetary constraints due to fielding both men’s and women’s ice hockey and the Title IX scholarship restrictions tied up in offering 18 men’s ice hockey scholarships.
If Gene goes ahead and says the rationale is funding, then wealthy donors are going to be lined up to self-fund the program.
But that’s not what Gene is saying. He’s saying we can’t have men’s lax because we offer 18 scholarships in men’s ice hockey. He wants you to make the association between the two sports when there is none.
So you think, “Oh, well if I have to choose between National Championship calibe men’s ice hockey and men’s lacrosse, I’ll take hockey every time.”
There is no Title IX relationship between the two sports, but Gene wants you to think there is. 18 men’s scholarships is just a number. Could be in any sport, not just men’s ice hockey.
Notre Dame, Ohio State and Penn State (soon) all make the math work. So can BC, but it’ll take a change of leadership at the top. Remember Gene decided to cut the sport. He’s not going back on that decision and will make canned excuses, rationalizations and illogical associations to preserve that decision.
I have my resume ready.
Editor, BC Interruption
by Brian Favat on Feb 17, 2012 9:25 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Remember Gene decided to cut the sport. He’s not going back on that decision
This is the correct response.
Just like the Spaz situation, GDF’s tethered to this decision.
by Eagle in Brighton on Feb 17, 2012 9:30 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I’ve mentioned this frequently (and as others have noted), lacrosse would be an ideal geographic, cultural, and recruiting fit.
Obviously, this isn’t high on my athletic department priority list (resurrecting the football program, improving football facilities definitely at the top of the list), but in an ideal world, would be men’s offering.
by Eagle in Brighton on Feb 17, 2012 9:36 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
He’s saying we can’t have men’s lax because we offer 18 scholarships in men’s ice hockey. He wants you to make the association between the two sports when there is none.
Exactly.
I’m still waiting for Blauds to respond to my question: “What does Flip’s ass hole taste like?”.
Who is protecting this guy on the Board of Trustee?
by epperson on Feb 17, 2012 9:33 AM EST up reply actions 3 recs
Post of the Decade
I’m still waiting for Blauds to respond to my question: "What does Flip’s ass hole taste like?".
I really am not a hater.....Ok I am.....
But this greasy guy we have as Athletic Director needs to go by June 2012, and restructure the whole incompetent Yawkey Yokel crew.
It’s not about $$$$$, BC is loaded!
It’s not about $$$$$, Alums rasied the amount Greasy asked for and then he reneged on his word, which makes him DISGUSTIAD!
BU?
Really?
On a side not a new state of the art hockey and basketball arena is being planned in Seattle for $450M, or less than 1/3rd of the BC endowment, to draw NBA and NHL teams!
BC has the land and could build a Boston Garden type of deal but maybe a 12,000 seast type since hockey always sells out, but why not restore and rebuild Conte and then build a new re-tractable dome stadium on St. John’s land.
Lacrosse, Soccer, Hoops configuration, an open end for baseball in the cold, football, dorms, --that site would be the shining jewel for NCAA events and tailgating and draw people in just for viewing pleasure and a destination site!
We Can be Everything to Everbody!!!!
THAT IS THE POINT FOR HIS ENTIRE TENURE!
GDF is a unmitigated loser!
Then why do we have 31 sports?
So we can finish last in all 31 or first?
We can be National Champions in every sport including football!
If you disagree with my posts for 10 years remember one thing:
WE ARE A PRIVATE RICH AS HELL $1.65B ENDOWMNET SCHOOL AND WE CAN DO ANYTHING WE WANT IN ATHLETICS EVNE WITH T9 SCHOLARSHIP RULES!!!!
And if we had leaders with vision and balls we would not have decades long issues with our neighbors over building and tailgating.
BC is run by limp wristed wimps!
We can’t be everything to everyone …
We can’t be Harvard Monday-Friday and Alabama on Saturdays …
You also can’t hide behind these excuses and turn around and offer the most varsity sports in the ACC.
Stop telling us what we can’t be and start telling us what we can be. Ever to excel is the motto. Live up to this.
Editor, BC Interruption
by Brian Favat on Feb 17, 2012 10:15 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
I went and saw the Clemson vs BC club lacrosse game last weekend
Was a fun, excruciating (for my team at least) game, and BC won 11-5. There are several kids on that team who could be good fringe guys for a varsity sport, so if BC decides to pull a Michigan and elevate their program, they should be able to do so with fewer bumps than if going it cold.
BC has had success in the past, and has a pretty notable story of one its former players who died in 9/11,Man in the Red Bandana. I hope that your AD gets right and elevates the program, not just so you can have an old sport, but also so you can beat down BU in other sport.
If you want to keep up with BC club lacrosse, here is their schedule and results. As a former club lacrosse player, I’d highly suggest you go out and see these guys play! It meant the world to me in college, and I think I can say they will appreciate you being there to support them all the same.
Don't give up, don't ever give up ~ Jim Valvano
Parker -- Man in the Red Bandana
Superb idea!
A Tiger elevates Eagle Nation!
THANKS!!!
Start a new men’s Lacrosse team in his honor and watch the kids who love BC in those target rich lacrosse areas make BC a National Power in a flash!
The Welles Crowther Lacrosse Field at St. John Seminary!
Build it.
Whalepants
Sorry I missed you idea poste first! Kudos to you Sir!!!!!
The Welles Crowther Lacrosse Field at St. John Seminary!
Parker
Did you see that mean SI swimsuit model pulling that white Tiger by the tail in the latest issue?
BC should offer her a scholarship…… in any sport…..just to compete with the Clemson babes…..and their hotter Moms!!!
I got the issue last night
Had to put it away so the misses wouldn’t throw it out. I’ll check it out today before shes gets home and then make it disappear for good. Always a good issue to look at, but can never keep them due to the threat of domestic abuse, lol.
Don't give up, don't ever give up ~ Jim Valvano
Domestic Abuse
I have suffered this since my wife cut me off for good on our wedding night 22 years ago and the various instruments of death she uses to beat me!
This is why I keep my man cave blast doors shut at all times and haven’t been out since Bud Selig and his Union buster stooges cancelled the 1994 World Series!
Jane also beat me outside the Rathskeller Beer Hall on Campus in the 70’s.
We need to form a support group. That’s the first step.
You go first. LMAO!
Why does everyone think that BC would automatically be competitive in lacrosse? When they had a team, they were horrendous.
Yes I understand that lacrosse has grown in the New England area but the best lacrosse is still played in the DC, Baltimore, Long Island, and Upstate NY areas. Who’s to say we would be able to out recruit the Virginias, Syracuses, Johns Hopkins, etc.
And please don’t say we have a great club team… A club team and a D-1 lacrosse program are completely different things.
All that said, I want a lacrosse program. Just don’t think we’d necessarily be as successful to start as some are implying.
Short term, no, we wouldn’t be competitive; however, long term, lacrosse has a higher ceiling for success than other “southern sports” (baseball, golf, etc.).
The argument is predicated, I think, on BC ultimately joining the ACC (in lacrosse). Because it’s the premier conference (UVA, Duke, UNC, Maryland, ’Cuse- nearly all of which are historical and/or current powers) AND the areas of high BC alumni density (NE, Tri-state area) are also fertile, there would be adequate push/pull factors for a quick (5 years) ascent to competitiveness. Obviously, elite play would take longer, but potential for success at the varisity lax level is equal or if not higher than any of our non-revenue sports (save for sailing).
by Eagle in Brighton on Feb 17, 2012 10:21 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
*fertile recruiting ground
/gaaaaaah, need an edit button
by Eagle in Brighton on Feb 17, 2012 10:22 AM EST up reply actions
This.
BC athletics should be like a stock portfolio. The long-term ceiling in a sport like men’s lacrosse far outweigh any potential gains in sports like baseball or golf. Same can be said for non-NCAA sanctioned sports like skiing and sailing. With due respect to those programs and those student-athletes, those sports aren’t going to elevate the status of Boston College athletics nationally, even if they achieve significant success (as sailing has in recent years).
The ADs job should be to maximize winning and revenues. Look at Notre Dame’s department of a model that balances Title IX limitations, funding and winning. The Irish still manage to compete in these three sports — I-A football, I-A ice hockey and I-A men’s lacrosse — and are investing significant resources, time and attention to the last two in particular.
Editor, BC Interruption
by Brian Favat on Feb 17, 2012 10:28 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
ahh..the role of education vs business
Brian, I think you are looking at this like a business man, which in the case of education, can be difficult. Is the University more business or more education? I think the case can be made that it’s run more like a public school system and less like Microsoft. Otherwise, it would be hard to justify funding all of these programs that are revenue losers. There is a balance here which due to the educational mission of a university that force athletic departments to fund losing ventures. Using Notre Dame as a comparison point in virtually any discussion distorts it, just because their revenue streams and public persona are so drastically different from anyone else.
Notre Dame, like any other athletics department, has to balance Title IX considerations, equal opportunities for student athletes, revenues and expenses and fielding winning sports programs. The comparison is not that far off using some key indicators.
Notre Dame
Number of Full-time Undergraduates: 8,411
Men: 4,507
Women: 3,904
Revenues: $94,507,919
Expenses: $75,360,209
Boston College
Number of Full-time Undergraduates: 9,417
Men: 4,559
Women: 4,858
Revenues: $64,078,272
Expenses: $64,078,272
BC offers 8 more varsity sports but spends 11m less on sports. As I see it, BC could afford to cut some programs (expenses) and reallocate resources to other sports.
I get what you are saying about providing educational opportunities to as many student-athletes as possible, but let’s also not pretend that college athletics is big business and is operated as such.
Editor, BC Interruption
New ACC TV Deals and the Business Aspect
ND has a monster apparel revenue stream and the NBC deal. TRUE!
85K and expensive sold out seating helps too, and ND earned it!
Their history and yesterday two SID articles on ND on ESPN site!!
BC is incompetent and our SID office needs more funding and to jettison the idiots at Fenway and other agencies!
BC has a cool golden uni for hockey at $120 a pop could sell 2,000 and that is tiny, but its a start, but reflects a bad business approach by BC.
Maybe an autographed one by York for $300 and you have half a million with just 2 ideas?
Tailgating, DBS, and all BC and Fenway are Midget League business people and I said this 10 years ago!
Why not approach NBC with a package deal to televise all Hockey East BC and ND home games?
I have come up with more ideas and other BC Guys on these sites that make so much sense and could easily be discussed or proposed and the Yawkey Yokels just sit and sit and sit and sleep!!!!
Agreed, BC athletics needs to be run more like a multinational and less like a mom-n-pop pizza shop.
Editor, BC Interruption
Wow! Didn’t realize that ND was a sausage fest.
by AdamBC on Feb 18, 2012 11:24 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Should have known, Adam. I mean, have you ever seen an attractive Notre Dame female?
Yeah, me neither.
Editor, BC Interruption
by Brian Favat on Feb 18, 2012 1:18 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I don’t think it’s unreasonable to assume that BC could be competitive in men’s lacrosse in a relatively short time frame given the natural advantages of the area.
Look at the meteoric rise of sports like BC soccer (both clubs), field hockey, women’s lacrosse and women’s ice hockey. The association with the ACC for all except hockey, obvi, has had a lot to do with this.
You don’t even have to be in those areas you mentioned to rise up in the sport. See: Notre Dame taking Duke to OT in the title game two years ago.
All it takes is some resources, a plan and a winner’s mentality (does not compute with current administration).
Editor, BC Interruption
by Brian Favat on Feb 17, 2012 10:21 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
BC Soccer
Their success (men’s and women’s) this past decade has been one of the athletic department’s success stories.
/credit where credit’s due
by Eagle in Brighton on Feb 17, 2012 10:26 AM EST up reply actions
Agreed, but that success is tied solely to the move to the ACC and the job Ed Kelly and Alison Foley have done. Note that both HCs were not Gene hires.
See what happens when you leave programs alone? Men’s ice hockey, men’s soccer, women’s soccer …
Editor, BC Interruption
by Brian Favat on Feb 17, 2012 10:31 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
I understand the association with the ACC (and how that wasn’t the case before with our lacrosse program) but still find it hard to believe that we were so atrocious in the sport and people think we can turn it around with simply by being associated with the ACC.
Just it seemed like with some of the posts we could be competitive just like that. It would probably take 6-7 years.
Notre Dame has 2 kids on their roster from New England and over 75% of their roster from VA, MD, NY, NJ, and some PA.
Despite interest in lacrosse rising in New England, the talent is still in those other recruiting hotbeds. We’d need become very active in these areas very quickly.
Being located in a recruiting hotbed alone does not guarantee success.
All those states that you list are large BC alumni pockets and the school already draws heavily from those states.
Editor, BC Interruption
by Brian Favat on Feb 17, 2012 12:17 PM EST up reply actions
Agree. Just saying that despite the growth of lacrosse in New England, our recruiting efforts would need to be across the east coast specifically those states.
It is definitely the spring sport I think BC should be investing its resources in. So much potential. Would take time, but it can work as a northern school’s spring sport.
Look at women’s lax as the model. Made first NCAA Tournament last year, ranked in Top 10 in two polls to start the season. All this despite going just 1-4 in the ACC last two seasons.
Program has only been around since 1992.
Agree that the road to respectability might be longer than others are suggesting, but playing in the ACC and beating down on locals in non-conf competition has been a recipe for success for the women’s program.
Editor, BC Interruption
The move to the ACC and being associated with programs like Syracuse, Virginia, Duke, UNC, and Maryland would be the biggest difference between now and then. Would also be my reason for optimism that the program could eventually succeed.
There are many other Catholic, northeastern schools that are terrible in lacrosse (St. Joe’s, Holy Cross, Providence).
Those schools are all small time, and don’t have the athletics department history, tradition or clout of a BC. Nor do they have the financial resources of a BC and the recent ACC ESPN TV deal.
Editor, BC Interruption
Lacrosse Recruiting
Distinguishing New England from the tri-state area (CT-NY-NJ) is irrelevant. Both (IMO) are our backyard and that aggregated area (a 5-hour’s-drive radius from Chestnut Hill) is a high school talent goldmine. Talent isn’t in “those” hotbeds, it’s ostensibly in what would become “our.”
Some interesting 2012 recruiting comps (state distribution):
- UMass: MA (4); NY (3); NJ (3); CT (3); NH (1)
- Cornell: Canada (4); NY (3); CT (3); CA (1)
- Dartmouth: MA (4); NY (2); CT (1); OH (1); MD (1); NH (1)
Final 2012 high school ranking.
This isn’t football, where talent is in Ohio or Florida: (save for the greater DC/VA area) talent is at Northeastern prep and Catholic schools, the same schools from which we draw much of today’s BC student body.
Would we be an immediate power going D1? No. But we would in short time (<5 years) warrent a seat at the D1 table due to, not inspite of, our proximity to high school talent.
by Eagle in Brighton on Feb 17, 2012 1:59 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Why were we so piss poor in lacrosse the first time around if we were in such close proximity to all this talent?
I just don’t think we can all assume that because we’re a Catholic, northeastern school that we will excel in lacrosse. And definitely not in less than 5 years.
A number of factors already discussed:
1) Shifting demographics, greater lax presence in New England
2) Playing in ACC vs. playing in Big East
3) More financial resources with move to ACC
4) Even in the last decade, a shift in the student body population to NJ, NY, PA, MD, VA and NC
5) Increased TV exposure given to the sport
Editor, BC Interruption
Real reason
6) BUBBLE. They put the bubble up the year after they cut the team. The lacrosse team never had a chance to succeed when it wasn’t supported with the appropriate facilities and practicing in the plex until March. The Newton soccer/lacrosse field was also grass at the time and is now a perfect lacrosse facility.
No one wants the team back if they do it half-heartedly and don’t give it a chance to win with the right support.
by Michael Dowd on Feb 20, 2012 11:09 AM EST up reply actions
Also
With the top high school talent in MD/DC/VA, games on the road in the ACC would get us in their backyard every year and we could also start up series with Catholic schools like Loyola and Georgetown in MD/DC each year for recruiting, similar school purposes.
Our schedule in lacrosse is already set up for us, it’s just waiting for the team.
Duke
Maryland
UNC
UVA
Cuse
BU
Harvard
Notre Dame
Providence
Holy Cross
Georgetown
Loyola
Villanova
Rutgers/St Joe’s/UMass/Marist/Sacred Heart
It just makes too much sense
by Michael Dowd on Feb 20, 2012 11:13 AM EST up reply actions
Catholic D1 Lax
Wouldn’t even have to pick up the phone for non-conference scheduling options. Just send letter by carrier pigeon to the Vatican.
Notre Dame
Detroit Mercy
Bellarmine
Mount St. Mary’s
Georgetown
Loyola (Maryland)
St. Joseph’s
Villanova
St. John’s
Fairfield
Canisius
Siena
Holy Cross
Sacred Heart
Providence
Editor, BC Interruption
Things have changed a lot in a decade+, though. I don’t remember ever seeing college lacrosse on TV back then, but now when I switch on ESPNU in the spring, I see UVA, Cuse, and UMass games being played. Since we would play UVA, UNC, Duke, and Cuse in-conference and UMass would be a likely out-of-conference game, we could promise recruits exposure (as much exposure as there is in a non-revenue sport anyway). Also, the campus intangibles make me inclined to think that we could out-recruit UMass and BU.
Also, DeFilippo is a Tennessee grad and likely knows as much about lacrosse as he does ice hockey, so he will probably leave it alone and allow it to thrive.
Actually, Gene knows a lot more about lax than he does ice hockey, since his previous career stop (Villanova) is DI.
Editor, BC Interruption
The ACC’s TV contract with ESPN would also likely welcome a 6th men’s lacrosse program. The amount of coverage on ESPN2 and ESPNU has increased exponentially over the past decade+.
Editor, BC Interruption
Sorry all
But #11 Massachusetts is already New England’s team. No room for any more teams.
Cute
Massachusetts is nationally ranked in something?
Editor, BC Interruption
by Brian Favat on Feb 17, 2012 11:17 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Hahah.
In all seriousness, attended more than my fair share of UMass games growing up (some epics v. ’Cuse).
As long as UMass players quell their desire to beat up fellow students, you guys seemed primed for another NCAA run.
/Obligatory
//Zoomass
///Stay classy
by Eagle in Brighton on Feb 17, 2012 2:02 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I posted a fanshot to CollegeCrosse this article
Should have some new commentors hopefully, and possibly some Syracuse fans to stir the pot and make you want to get a team to shut em up.
Don't give up, don't ever give up ~ Jim Valvano
Tiger Boy Parker
That was hysterical!
Syracuse in lacrosse is like BC in hockey is like Clemson in babes.
BC
Ever since Syracuse moved to the ACC, I have thought that BC has a chance to move to D1. They have 5 teams in the ACC now, a super conference with NC, Duke, Maryland and Virginia, but one more team makes them an automatic qualifier.
I think we see BC at somepoint in D1
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You know that the first move the next AD makes to appeal to the alumni is to add lacrosse. That’s exactly what happened at Michigan and he’ll see that he’s missing out on a ton of donations from lacrosse alumni by not having it
by Michael Dowd on Feb 20, 2012 11:16 AM EST up reply actions
Hope the next AD is the current assistant AD at Wiscy (Frazier). It’d be good to have an AD that respects a profitable hockey program.
When it comes to non-revenue sports, I’d rather see the school take that money and plow it back into making the football team more successful
by chicagofire1871 on Feb 17, 2012 6:04 PM EST via iPhone app reply actions 1 recs
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