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Is this official yet? What is going on because rumors are swirling...

but SMU's sutton denied this.

When will we know for sure? If not lacrosse, what sports will SMU be adding...

if sutton is denying, then i would assume it's not official.

My brother is a high school junior who is being recruited or D1 lacrosse and I attended one of his recruiting camps last weekend. In speaking to a number of coaches who were attending the event, the fact that I graduated from SMU came up. They were all buzzing about the potential of a SMU team and many had heard that feelers had been sent out to find a high profile coach.

this would be cool and probably the easiest sport to quickly fund and become competitive.

By adding Men's and Women's Lacrosse, SMU adds to its newly emerging national brand, especially with universities in the East with strong academic and media ties. Turner is doing a great job of moving SMU into a new category of prestigious national universities with one that is located uniquely in Texas and the SW/South.

Men LAX gets BE mates such as ND, Georgetown, Providence, Villanova, St. John's (NY) and Ruthgers, plus geoprahphic mates in Air Force, Denver, Bellarmine (Louisville), Marquette, Ohio State and Michigan.

Women LAX is even better with BE mates Loyola (MD), ND, Georgetown, Rutgers, Connecticut, Louisville, Villanova and Cincinnati, plus regional teams such as Northwestern (Nat'l champs), Florida, Jacksonville, Davidson, Denver, Stanford, CAL, Oregon, St. Mary's (CA), San Diego State, Fresno State and UC Davis.

LAX Game Day on the Hilltop in the Spring will be great, especially with the new Residence Halls adding a thousand new on campus students. SMU recruits students nationally the opportunity for LAX to be part of our college life will be special in Texas.

I love lacrosse, having played a little in high school. But if lacrosse is added before the school builds competitive facilities for track, soccer, and swimming and diving, the coaches of those sports should start a mutiny.

Otto wrote:I love lacrosse, having played a little in high school. But if lacrosse is added before the school builds competitive facilities for track, soccer, and swimming and diving, the coaches of those sports should start a mutiny.

I certainly endorse the priorities of new swimming & diving facilities, with upgrades for Westcott Field. New Natatorium is way over due.

Men's and Women's lacrosse would be fairly cheap to fund. This is a grand total of 27 scholarships for both squads. With Ford Stadium being turf, they wouldn't destroy a field for either fall or spring football. The travel cost of this will be painful, but can be mitigated. I have seen Jacksonville University start their program a couple of years ago. Early in the year everyone wants to come south. SMU could get top programs interested in coming to Dallas. Two teams come at once and everyone gets multiple games from the trip. On the other hand they travel to the NE and get a two game combination with Villanova, Rutgers, Georgetown, St. Johns, or Providence from the BE. For non conference on this trip throw in Loyola, Maryland, Towson, Hopkins, Penn State, Hofstra, Stony Brook, West Point... Etc.

I spoke to a coach several months ago (2x JUCO coach of the year). He said coaches are already talking about this and will line up for the job - they love the athletes in Texas and the academics are an easy sell. There is no money at the professional level, so the academics are a big part of the sale. I doubt SMU will pull the trigger for a Men's team, at least not right away. A woman's team will come first because of our Title IX situation.

It might be cheap to fund. I don't know the dollars needed. But I agree that we have a lot of sports at SMU that have a rich tradition and history that need to be treated as such. Whoever the new AD is needs to find the cash for a new natatorium and track. ASAP.

Why does it have to be either or with you guys?

SMULaxer wrote:Why does it have to be either or with you guys?

Believe me, I love LAX and SMU needs to embrace the east by adding both Men's and Women's teams but, when priority setting, the construction of a new Natatorium must be at the top of any list.

I can't speak for anyone else, but for me, it's not an either/or deal. But the current SMU sports have to be addressed and upgraded first. AFTER there is a better natatorium, track and soccer field, if they want to add lacrosse ... go for it.