OT: UConn Mens Lacrosse Program

[BigErnMcCracken]

Everyone was saying it's the the fastest growing sport when I was in high school 20 years ago. I haven't followed it closely but from what I've seen it really hasn't changed all that much.

Participation rates among kids nationwide are up about 300 percent in the last 15 years.

I love the sport, grew up playing in an area where it's not remotely a rich kids sport, and I played at a high level until my early 20s - all that being said I can't see any particular reason why a D1 program would be a good idea for UConn.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

It would be a great investment. Similar to Utah or Richmond the cost can be taken care of by a generous donor. Do we have a donor that is interested? Perhaps.

In the year 2030 where will lacrosse be? The past 7 years lax has been the fastest growing sport among participation for HS athletics. It continues to grow. New D1 teams are popping up every year. Utah, Bonnies, Akron, Kent State, etc.

Lol. When I was in high school over 30 years ago the soccer cult morans said soccer would be more popular than basketball and baseball by the turn of the century.

If you are talking to a lacrosse parent or big time suppporter you can bank on 2 things.

Their son isn’t a quarter good as they think he is and that lacrosse is the NEXT BIG THING.

It’s really a cult. My son plays in high school. Parents are completely delusional. They are worse than dance moms.

UConn Lacrosse. Hard pass.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

It would be. Not tomorrow.

Um. How?

 

[superjohn]

Participation rates among kids nationwide are up about 300 percent in the last 15 years.

I love the sport, grew up playing in an area where it's not remotely a rich kids sport, and I played at a high level until my early 20s - all that being said I can't see any particular reason why a D1 program would be a good idea for UConn.

Lacrosse has always touted it's growth rate but it doesn't translate to people caring about it at the college and pro level. Like the other sports which have grown a lot over the years it's still a niche sport. There are way more youth programs across the US but it's the same as it always was, the top athletes still all gravitate to those sports which haven't grown but offer you free rides to college and where you can make actual money playing the sport.

It was a fun sport to play but it's not much of a sport to watch unfortunately. As far as a spectator sport Box is more fun, also more fun to play IMO.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Lacrosse has always touted it's growth rate but it doesn't translate to people caring about it at the college and pro level. Like the other sports which have grown a lot over the years it's still a niche sport. There are way more youth programs across the US but it's the same as it always was, the top athletes still all gravitate to those sports which haven't grown but offer you free rides to college and where you can make actual money playing the sport.

It was a fun sport to play but it's not much of a sport to watch unfortunately. As far as a spectator sport Box is more fun, also more fun to play IMO.

I was just responding to your statement that nothing has changed. I don't think anyone is seriously waiting on lacrosse to replace any of the revenue-generating sports. That being said, I know more than a handful of D1 players who passed on scholarship opportunities in revenue sports at major programs, and that was true when I played in the late 90s.

Box is awful to watch, by the way, so we're just coming at it from different perspectives.

 

[Austin316]

Um. How?

Do people guy tickets to watch golf? Or maybe swimming? No probly not. Would they for lacrosse in a state where the popularity might be the highest out of any state? Maybe.

Let’s take our finances for golf and swimming (A) as a hypothetical test scenario to be replaced by lacrosse. I am using solid programs Albany (B), Johns Hopkins (C), Denver (D), & Virginia (E) as test samples to see if it would actually work

Total finances (A): 464,378
269,919 (golf) + 194,459 (s&d)

Total finances:
(B) 185,486
(C) 215,904
(D) 679,129
(E) 220,021

Would it work? Yeah. Do I think it would be a good program? Yeah. Will we do it? Probly not.

 

[superjohn]

I was just responding to your statement that nothing has changed. I don't think anyone is seriously waiting on lacrosse to replace any of the revenue-generating sports. That being said, I know more than a handful of D1 players who passed on scholarship opportunities in revenue sports at major programs, and that was true when I played in the late 90s.

Box is awful to watch, by the way, so we're just coming at it from different perspectives.

Yes, it hasn't really changed. People were saying it's the fastest growing sport when I was in school and it's continued to grow. People still don't care about it at the college level and professionally and the best athletes leave lacrosse just like they do soccer to focus on the big sports.

You knew more than a handful of guys who were offered scholarships at major programs in hoops or football and turned it down to play lacrosse? I find that really hard to believe but I'll take your word for it.

 

[UofCT]

Yes, it hasn't really changed. People were saying it's the fastest growing sport when I was in school and it's continued to grow. People still don't care about it at the college level and professionally and the best athletes leave lacrosse just like they do soccer to focus on the big sports.

You knew more than a handful of guys who were offered scholarships at major programs in hoops or football and turned it down to play lacrosse? I find that really hard to believe but I'll take your word for it.

Just because you don't like lacrosse and you don't watch lacrosse does not make your take true.

Club teams did not exist in 2009 and now there are thousands. There used to be 1 camp and 1 showcase college coaches cared about and now from early June to late July there are hundreds of tournaments, showcases, camps, skills clinics, etc for lacrosse. D1 & D3 assistant coaches make more than half their money/salary/compensation working these events while recruiting is live. Lacrosse is blowing up right now. Over the past 8-10 years lacrosse has grown tremendously and it's not stopping.

 

[whaler11]

Do people guy tickets to watch golf? Or maybe swimming? No probly not. Would they for lacrosse in a state where the popularity might be the highest out of any state? Maybe.

Let’s take our finances for golf and swimming (A) as a hypothetical test scenario to be replaced by lacrosse. I am using solid programs Albany (B), Johns Hopkins (C), Denver (D), & Virginia (E) as test samples to see if it would actually work

Total finances (A): 464,378
269,919 (golf) + 194,459 (s&d)

Total finances:
(B) 185,486
(C) 215,904
(D) 679,129
(E) 220,021

Would it work? Yeah. Do I think it would be a good program? Yeah. Will we do it? Probly not.

What in the world? You can’t even pay the coaches for 200k.

You think Virginia spends 220k on lacrosse?

 

[John]

This is like struggling to pay the mortgage and going out and buying a Masserati. Pass.

 

[whaler11]

This is like struggling to pay the mortgage and going out and buying a Masserati. Pass.

Except then you’d have a cool car.

With this we’d just have lacrosse.

 

[Northbound]

Well if you need 2 million a year to operate it’s at least that much. It’s 26 scholarships + everything else that goes into running a program.

It is not 26 scholarships its 12 or 13 full scholarships that's the rules (12.6 actually from what I recall) - it's typically broken up in halves and quarters. NCAA teams are bound by this - you hurt your argument when you make things up.

i could care less if UCONN has a program because the idea that in-state kids or kids in close proximity are going to flock to Storrs to play lacrosse is unlikely - a kid or two sure, but disabuse yourself of the notion that UCONN is getting 3 kids every year from New Canaan, Wilton, Yorktown, Lakeland, Garden City, Melville, etc. - that is a pipe dream for a start up program, especially when you'll not be the main attraction on campus.

The attendance argument is asinine because if you judged sports on attendance you'd have two sports at most schools - football and basketball. Baseball is no draw either - UCONN isn't in the top 25 in attendance - christ Miami is 25th in attendance in baseball and they average 2,600 per game that's a real show stopper there - a whole 2,600 per game.

Lacrosse makes as much sense as any other and here's the key - NON-REVENUE sport - I could argue either side of the issue, but christ be factual.

 

[whaler11]

It is not 26 scholarships its 12 or 13 full scholarships that's the rules (12.6 actually from what I recall) - it's typically broken up in halves and quarters. NCAA teams are bound by this - you hurt your argument when you make things up.

i could care less if UCONN has a program because the idea that in-state kids or kids in close proximity are going to flock to Storrs to play lacrosse is unlikely - a kid or two sure, but disabuse yourself of the notion that UCONN is getting 3 kids every year from New Canaan, Wilton, Yorktown, Lakeland, Garden City, Melville, etc. - that is a pipe dream for a start up program, especially when you'll not be the main attraction on campus.

The attendance argument is asinine because if you judged sports on attendance you'd have two sports at most schools - football and basketball. Baseball is no draw either - UCONN isn't in the top 25 in attendance - christ Miami is 25th in attendance in baseball and they average 2,600 per game that's a real show stopper there - a whole 2,600 per game.

Lacrosse makes as much sense as any other and here's the key - NON-REVENUE sport - I could argue either side of the issue, but christ be factual.

Plus 13 for the women for IX

13+13=26

Did I make up addition? Bully for me.

 

[Austin316]

What in the world? You can’t even pay the coaches for 200k.

You think Virginia spends 220k on lacrosse?

Yup. You can look it up on the US Department of Education website.
Equity in Athletics

 

[whaler11]

Yup. You can look it up on the US Department of Education website.
Equity in Athletics

No offense but if you believe stuff like that
you should sit conversations like this out.

There are 58 million in expenses not allocated by sport. Guess what! A couple of million goes to men’s lacrosse.

You can’t even gas up the busses for 200k.

It wouldn’t even pay the head coach:
Virginia men’s lacrosse coach Dom Starsia signed new five-year contract in January

 

[Austin316]

No offense but if you believe stuff like that
you should sit conversations like this out.

There are 58 million in expenses not allocated by sport. Guess what! A couple of million goes to men’s lacrosse.

You can’t even gas up the busses for 200k.

It wouldn’t even pay the head coach:
Virginia men’s lacrosse coach Dom Starsia signed new five-year contract in January

Agree to disagree but I see your point. My agrument was sidelining golf and swimming for lacrosse would not be financially painful. Golf is a very expensive sport and swimming covers the number of players required to field. The website I provided is a government website that shows the costs it takes to run each sport. The salary for lacrosse is not really the issue seeing as the best coach in the country earns $250k, which was an increase from $150k.

To end... it’s not going to happen because there might be too much start up costs associated with the change. As mentioned before a high priced donor would be required.

 

[whaler11]

Agree to disagree but I see your point. My agrument was sidelining golf and swimming for lacrosse would not be financially painful. Golf is a very expensive sport and swimming covers the number of players required to field. The website I provided is a government website that shows the costs it takes to run each sport. The salary for lacrosse is not really the issue seeing as the best coach in the country earns $250k, which was an increase from $150k.

To end... it’s not going to happen because there might be too much start up costs associated with the change. As mentioned before a high priced donor would be required.

You are 100% totally wrong. Doubling down is a totally BY thing to do.

Those schools spend millions on lacrosse.

 

[Austin316]

You are 100% totally wrong. Doubling down is a totally BY thing to do.

Those schools spend millions on lacrosse.

How much do you think they spend?

 

[whaler11]

How much do you think they spend?

At least two million. 13 scholarships and the coaches are 7 figures before you even have a practice.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

At least two million. 13 scholarships and the coaches are 7 figures before you even have a practice.

Earlier you said 26 scholarships. Get your facts straight. Christ can you stop making sheet up?

 

[whaler11]

Earlier you said 26 scholarships. Get your facts straight. Christ can you stop making sheet up?

I credited the Hoos the 13 Title IX scholarships to make it less embarrassing for everyone involved.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

At least two million. 13 scholarships and the coaches are 7 figures before you even have a practice.

It’s about $75k to go to UVA. Scholarships alone are 7 figures.

 

[freescooter]

Man. Whaler and Serrano are ignoring the fact that if we get a team next year we will build a wall around Fairfield County and win the 2016 national championship and play every game before a sellout crowd at the Rent. And they will have to expand it for all the growth.

 

[CallMeBruce]

It’s about $75k to go to UVA. Scholarships alone are 7 figures.

That's not how costs work.

 

[browndog319]

My top 3 reasons (in no particular order):

We have no money.
We are broke.
We can’t afford it.

Those reasons aside:

Lacrosse is terrible. Slightly more exciting than soccer.

It’s a niche sport played predominantly by rich white kids.

There are probably 20 people who would care and half of them already posted in this thread.

Have I mentioned that we don’t have the money?

Actually, lacrosse is much more interesting than soccer. People score far more. It’s much faster.
Girls lacrosse is much better than girls basketball... there, I said it. I’d rather watch women’s lax than basketball.
Granted, my 13 YO plays and when she’s running backwards and throws a pass and another catches it while running, it’s a thing of beauty. Really a very cool sport.