A couple items from Michigan State, Michigan, and Detroit…
The Lansing State Journal discusses Michigan State’s axing of the Division-1 program a decade ago, and (indirectly) the damage it did to the sport within the state’s borders:
While not directly involved with the decisions, Hollis said factors such as total budget, the competitive field of teams in a sport both regionally and nationally and, in some cases, safety issues go into evaluating sports.
“Part of it was getting into compliance with Title IX and which ones are you going to look at?” Hollis said.
But the Title IX factor didn’t sit well with those involved in both programs, who fought and pushed for their sports to remain at MSU to no avail.
Hoya Suxa of College Crosse responds to the article on the whole, and believe it or not, a post titled in part “Weasel Words from an Athletic Director” is not overwhelmingly negative. He also makes a pretty compelling argument for this being the right time for the Spartans to restore the program:
If Michigan State were to pursue Division I men’s lacrosse, there’s no time better than right now: The game is growing strongly in the state; its league is entering the Division I fray in 2015 with a membership roster… with Michigan and Detroit as in-state opponents, Michigan State can build on the foundations that these two programs have been laying in the state… there is inherent opportunity in participation due to the growing exposure of the game nationwide… [MSU] can sit on the leading edge of the game instead of being isolated in a desolate place without many other peers.
Much much more on the topic over there, so certainly check it out.
On to Detroit, which boasted 24 members of the MAAC Academic Honor Roll. For a program that hasn’t always had a stellar academic record, that’s great progress.
Moving onto the field, don’t forget that Titans midfielder Mike Birney is a man.
…and finally to Michigan, and specifically offensive coordinator Ryan Danehy. The 29ish-year old is still spry enough to run midfield and make the All-Tournament team at the Vail Lacrosse Shootout. Playing for Brine Elite, which finished in third place, Danehy scored 14 goals, including three two-pointers, and notched five assists.
Also in Ann Arbor (or I guess “moving to Ann Arbor,” since the above happened in Colorado), we are getting a bit of an idea what Michigan lacrosse facilities could look like. You’ll have to click on “lacrosse facilities” at the bottom of the page because designing navigable websites is apparently very hard.
There’s nothing revelatory there, really. It looks like the plan is to put the facility waaaay down on South Campus behind Edwards Brothers Malloy book factory. I’ve heard that the University is trying to buy out the property itself, but we shall see. Indoor and outdoor practice/competition facilities still looks like the move, though we don’t get much detail on that particular page.