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Should Lacrosse Fans Cheer For Notre Dame?

When it comes to college football, I certainly have my reservations. The fact that it operates as a sort of minor league for the NFL, and is a huge money maker for a small set of select groups, is a big part of the issue, but I also realize that I am in the minority when it comes to this perspective.

So for now, I’ll drop it, and just focus on the game at hand, and who lacrosse fans should cheer for.

Bama vs Notre Dame… Who you got?

My immediate reaction is to cheer for Notre Dame, simply because they offer varsity lacrosse, while Alabama does not. Shallow, huh? This isn’t a knock on Bama’s club team in any way, but I do love seeing schools support lacrosse with funding, and in that regard, you have to give the nod to the Golden Domers.

Notre Dame St. John's Lacrosse

Then I think about the deeper implications of Notre Dame winning the BCS, and I become even more convinced that the Irish should win. Here are just a couple more reasons to cheer for ND:

– If the football teams wins the BCS, other teams at ND will feel the push to win a title even more. If the lacrosse team makes good on that, it would mean that yet another first-time champ would be crowned in Men’s D1 lacrosse. I’d love to see that.

– If Notre Dame wins, the sports media may take notice and declare the SEC’s grip on football as over, or at least slipping. This means athletic programs that don’t follow the SEC model of “FOOTBALL, and some other sports” can see national success. Since lacrosse is part of the program at ND, it might get mentioned as a great Spring option. If Bama wins, this probably doesn’t happen.

– If Notre Dame wins in football, and then wins in lacrosse, it’s REALLY good for lacrosse. Sure, this one is WAY out there, but think about it… after winning a BCS championship, if ND were to win the lacrosse title, many more people would pay attention. Even if ND made a trip back to the finals, it would be bigger news. ND has pull across the country, and a football title on helps. That’s just reality.

It seems like I am 100% in favor of Notre Dame winning, doesn’t it? Well, initially, I was. But upon further introspection, I began to find reasons to cheer for Bama, and some of them even related to lacrosse. Let’s run through a couple of those:

– If Bama wins yet another title in football, it is possible, although unlikely, that the Bama sports program will get an additional boost. Maybe it will be increased fundraising or sponsorship dollars, maybe it will come from somewhere else… but the point is, if Bama gets enough money in the door, it increases the chances that they will someday add lacrosse. More money to spend? Add lacrosse. Like I said, it’s unlikely, but could conceivably happen way down the line.

– If Bama wins, it means Notre Dame loses. Maybe the Irish will feel even more compelled to win in lacrosse? And that’s another way to see a new national champion ushered in. I’m for that either way!

– If Bama wins, we can talk about one of their players wearing lacrosse cleats. I’m sure at least one them rocks Nike Huaraches. It’s small, but it’s something!

Realistically speaking, this game doesn’t mean much in terms of lacrosse. I know that, and I know that this article was a little silly. But I’m also curious to know if people believe this game matters for OUR sport, or if lacrosse somehow influences who you will be cheering for tonight…