The very idea that the Pac-12 could someday support a full fledged NCAA D1 men’s lacrosse conference is tantalizing beyond belief. That would help push lacrosse into the mainstream for sure! While it may be a ways off from reality, there is some VERY good lacrosse being played by college kids out west already, in the form of the MCLA’s Division 1 programs, and these West Coast College Lacrosse highlights show that off nicely!
The below highlight from the one and only BHSVideoDad showcases Stanford, Cal, Oregon, Sonoma, Simon Fraser (Canada), Cal Poly, Santa Barbara, and Dominican. While only some of these schools are Pac-12 conference members, it gives you a pretty good idea for what a booming NCAA lacrosse scene bordering the Pacific might look like. Blur your eyes a bit, and imagine what it could be…
West Coast College Lacrosse Highlights
Of course this shouldn’t be seen as a knock on the current quality of play one bit.
The MCLA is an amazing organization for a number of reasons, but chief among them is that it gives kids a chance to do what their own schools are not ready to do. It gives college students a chance to lead, and for programs that take it seriously, it can be an awesome way to learn a lot about life, while also playing some really high level lacrosse.
Imagine being in charge of a $100,000 budget as a junior in college, and also being a starting midfielder. Imagine hiring your own coach, and picking out your own uniforms, while also dealing with the, at times, stultifying academic bureaucracy of a large college or university. Will there be “scandals” and problems in a system like this? YOU BET! But there will also be stories of triumph, and lessons learned. It’s valuable for the players to run their own show. Programs that compete for titles do it year round, and they run a tight ship. The differences can be clear.
Another big reason to support the MCLA, beyond what it is now, is that it can activate interest in D1 lacrosse at any college. I could easily see BYU adding men’s lacrosse at some point, and it will all be in thanks to the current, former, and future members of their club team. Need an example of this at a major university? Michigan really lines up pretty well there. If you have an alumni base, and you can raise the money, lacrosse CAN happen, almost anywhere.
Thanks to BHSVideoDad for the video, and thanks to all those MCLA players and coaches out there doing the dirty work to Grow the Game!
