Atlantic Sun and SoCon Form Lacrosse Partnership

[Danielr11220]

The Southern Conference and the Atlantic Sun have partnered in a deal that will shift men’s lacrosse sponsorship from the A-Sun to the SoCon in 2015.http://collegesportsinfo.com/2014/01/10/atalntic-sun-and-socon-form-lacrosse-partnership/#sthash.O0H6AJ0A.dpuf

[PaladinFan]

Could have seen that one a mile out. Of the current A-Sun lacrosse schools, next season only Jacksonville will actually be a member of the ASun.

[PaladinFan]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4O7QFwLj0bk&feature=c4-overview&list=UUprLkD5Pj5pk45TVcpo7jKg

[ngineer]

Glad to see the sport expanding and getting traction down south beyond the ACC. The SEC should really start taking a look at this.

[PaladinFan]

Glad to see the sport expanding and getting traction down south beyond the ACC. The SEC should really start taking a look at this.

It is difficult. Lacrosse has extremely little following in the deep south. Part of that is because the season coincides with baseball, and no self respecting southern boy is going to play lacrosse over baseball. There's just no connectivity to it. Some high schools are picking it up, but almost all are wealthy private schools in high urban areas.

It is also not necessarily something I see the SEC getting involved with any point soon. The SEC does not even field men's soccer, much less lacrosse.

[Danielr11220]

For what its worth Vanderbilt has a Men's club team http://laxteams.net/vandylax/index.html and a womens team http://www.vucommodores.com/sports/w-lacros/vand-w-lacros-body.html

[dgtw]

I think Florida and Vandy both have varsity women's lacrosse teams.

No, it is not a big sport down here. A few high schools in Alabama have club teams, but it is not widespread enough to be a sanctioned state sport.

As for men's soccer, South Carolina and Kentucky have teams that play in C-USA. I could see other schools pick it up one day, but it would mean having to start up another sport for women. Because you can't have a college sponser a sport for guys that is played in most of the high schools without inventing a sport for girls that nobody in the state plays.

[PaladinFan]

I think Florida and Vandy both have varsity women's lacrosse teams.

No, it is not a big sport down here. A few high schools in Alabama have club teams, but it is not widespread enough to be a sanctioned state sport.

As for men's soccer, South Carolina and Kentucky have teams that play in C-USA. I could see other schools pick it up one day, but it would mean having to start up another sport for women. Because you can't have a college sponser a sport for guys that is played in most of the high schools without inventing a sport for girls that nobody in the state plays.

My take with the SEC is that they are fine doing a few sports really well. To be quite honest, I imagine the SEC football programs bring in more money by themselves than other conference's entire slate combined.

[walliver]

This website (http://www.anygivensaturday.com/mcla.us/SELC/) list a large number of club teams (click on the "Division I" or "Division II" tabs to get a list). Club teams are almost universal at private schools in the South that don't have varsity teams. Many of them will stay at the club level, but a number have had discussions about moving up. With growing bad PR about concussions in football, and a desire to recruit students from the lacrosse demographic, I suspect a number of SoCon club teams will be upgraded in the next 5 years or so.