According to a report from the SB Nation blog College Crosse, Florida State’s athletic department is looking at adding lacrosse to the list of varsity sports at the school.
The full article details the recent push by an alumni group to add lacrosse at Florida State within the next few years. The blog made a public records request for emails to/from President John Thrasher or athletic director Stan Wilcox relating to the establishment of the new program.
Pertinent information includes a May 9 meeting between an interested alumni, John Thrasher, and Vice President for University Advancement Tom Jennings. The results of this meeting were forwarded to Stan Wilcox, who then emailed Senior Associate Athletic Director Vanessa Fuchs. After some discussion on the alumni’s commitment to supporting the program, Wilcox emailed the alumni this:
“Please know that we are continuing to look into a few different options for adding a women’s sport team here at FSU. Lacrosse is certainly one of those sports we are strongly considered [sic] after an extensive evaluation…However, no formal decision at this time has been made. In this regard, we are attempting to identify donors who’d be willing to help us sponsor a new women’s sport…Ideally, we would like to “launch” a new sport sometime in the near future but we don’t have a definitive timeframe at this time.”
The rest of the emails discuss costs associated with a new sports program and the Title IX implications. Back in 2015, Wilcox discussed the idea of adding men’s soccer, which would require at least two new women’s sports team to comply with the federal law. There’s also mention of a master facilities plan ranging from 5-10 years.
Read the full piece to gain a complete overview of the situation. The gist seems to be that if lacrosse comes to FSU, it will likely appear first as a women’s team. That would make it the second major program in the state to fund women’s lacrosse, with the University of Florida being the other. It could certainly add another element to the rivalry if nothing else.
A few years down the road, men’s lacrosse could come afterwards. The Seminoles would presumably compete in the ACC, which is home to traditional lacrosse powers like Virginia (five national championships), North Carolina (five national championships), and Duke (three national championships).
However, there is reason to be bullish on Florida State teams competing in lacrosse. The university would be the first major program in the state to supply both, which would help attract local talent to the school. The state of Florida remains full of highly-touted prospects that northern schools constantly poach thanks to the current setup. If Florida State tapped in to its advantages at home, the Seminoles could become a national power within a few years.
Normally we would not report on non-committal university plans. But a recent statement by John Thrasher and the timing of these emails signal a legitimate development in the situation. Florida State seems intent on adding more varsity sports in the next few years, and by all indications, lacrosse will be the top choice.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login