The Fresno State Athletic Program has made another questionable decision, but it won̢۪t be settled in a courtroom.
In an effort to seek Title IX compliance, the Fresno State Athletic Department started off 2008 by announcing two new women̢۪s sports.
This marks the return of the women’s swimming and diving team along with the beginning of the women’s lacrosse program. Swimming and diving — smart decision. Lacrosse — not so much.
The women̢۪s lacrosse program is destined for failure.
I don̢۪t understand why the university would add a sport that has no popularity in our own state. Not one high school in the Valley has a lacrosse program.
Only four sections out of ten in California support high school lacrosse programs. This does not bode well for recruiting.
Also, take a look at last season̢۪s Top 20 Women̢۪s Lacrosse Poll: not one team in the poll is in the Pacific Time Zone.
If our university thinks it can keep pace with East Coast powerhouses like Duke, North Carolina and Maryland, it is sadly mistaken.
Women̢۪s lacrosse athletes are hard to come by and most of the decent players will opt to play at an established program. A new program may be attractive for playing time, but not for success.
This addition may be a financial liability as well. Fresno State will have to travel long distances to find opponents to play. A new facility east of Bulldog Stadium is going to be built as well.
A more suitable option for an additional women̢۪s sport would have been women̢۪s water polo.
Lacrosse may be king on the East Coast, but water polo is the extremely more popular sport in California.
Several universities in California, including Pac-10 Conference powers Stanford, Cal and USC, already have water polo programs.
Eleven universities in California have women̢۪s water polo programs, compared to four that have women̢۪s lacrosse.
Not to mention the fertile recruiting area we have in the Central Valley. Water polo is extremely popular among Fresno Area high schools.
So now I ask why our university would add an athletic team that is popular in the eastern United States, but has no following whatsoever in California.
It just doesn̢۪t make sense to me.
Don’t get me wrong — I will support any Fresno State athletic team. However, adding a sport that no one around here understands or follows is still a mistake.
Jen • Jul 26, 2008 at 12:07 am
I will be on the lacrosse team this year and I think we are looking to quiet the people who think like this. We are playing Stanford, Berkely and Davis, I understand it won’t be easy abd we will use articles like these to motivate us to be that much better, so thank you for the motivation.
Jen • Jul 25, 2008 at 5:07 pm
I will be on the lacrosse team this year and I think we are looking to quiet the people who think like this. We are playing Stanford, Berkely and Davis, I understand it won’t be easy abd we will use articles like these to motivate us to be that much better, so thank you for the motivation.
Whatever • Jan 22, 2008 at 2:17 pm
As someone completely uneducated in the world of university administration, I believe sports should support the students, not the other way around.
Whatever • Jan 22, 2008 at 9:17 pm
As someone completely uneducated in the world of university administration, I believe sports should support the students, not the other way around.
Cloverfield Monster • Jan 22, 2008 at 12:08 am
The travel thing is misguided—-The MPSF has all of its teams in CA, OR, and CO. Maybe only one east coast swing and one midwest swing will be necessary for the full season schedule to be filled out. The first game between Virginia/Duke/Northwestern (insert team here) and Fresno State will be pretty brutal though. Women’s lacrosse is a rather tame sport, however. Few bruises on the women’s side.
Cloverfield Monster • Jan 22, 2008 at 7:08 am
The travel thing is misguided—-The MPSF has all of its teams in CA, OR, and CO. Maybe only one east coast swing and one midwest swing will be necessary for the full season schedule to be filled out. The first game between Virginia/Duke/Northwestern (insert team here) and Fresno State will be pretty brutal though. Women’s lacrosse is a rather tame sport, however. Few bruises on the women’s side.