High Point Adds Lacrosse. Who Cares?
High Point University will add Division I lacrosse for the 2012-2013. I thought this would be a lot bigger news. Nobody seems to care? You should care. Sure, the team won’t start playing for a couple years, but the impact of the 62nd Division I Lacrosse team will be immediate. First let’s take a look at the school.
A quick search for High Point University and we get these pictures of the campus:
Beautiful campus in the south. $2.1 Billion initiative towards an even better university? With the economy what it is, throwing around $2.1 Billion goes to show how much the University cares about their school. Who wouldn’t want to go there?
Like that? Check out the field they’ll likely be playing on:
That field ranks right up with Denver and Notre Dame’s. Small but don’t think for a second it can’t get loud at that field. I’d rather play in front of that sold-out venue than 1/15 full football stadium. It’s just a better atmosphere.
So we see the school is beautiful, the stadium is perfect, but what about the lacrosse side of High Point?
If the Mens facilities are anything like the Womens:
They won’t have trouble wooing recruits.
So you’re onboard with the school, onboard with the athletic facilities. Why should you be onboard with the Mens lacrosse team?
In the press release provided by the school, the Athletic Director explained he wants the school to compete out of the gates and the school will offer the “maximum number of scholarships and coaches and we will provide all of the necessary facilities.” AD Keilitz wants to compete right away. He also explained a head coach would be named by the coming 2011 spring. With the never ending coaching carousel, don’t be surprised to see a big name come in. It’s likely the coach will be named after the regular season, before the tournament.
Dr. Nido Qubein, the President of HPU and Athletic Director Craig Keilitz are taking the right steps in the creation of the Mens lacrosse program. Not only are they taking the right steps, they’re taking the best steps. They aren’t rushing the creation of the program nor are they willing to throw out a ragtag team of under-prepared talent. Per the press release, the school will be offering the, “maximum number of scholarships and coaches and we will provide all of the necessary facilities.” Full number of scholarships, maximum number of coaches, best facilities. AD Keilitz wants to win. And he wants to win NOW. There are some D1 schools that still don’t offer the maximum 12.6 number of scholarships. High Point will have all of them for their inaugural season.
The school also announced they’ll have a coach by the 2011 spring season. That’s this season. The staff will be able to recruit rising seniors and juniors off the bat and use those 12.6 scholarships. President Dr. Nido Qubein and AD Keilitz are both class acts. If they’re improving their school in the same manner they’re adding this program, High Point is in great hands for the next 10 years.
So if you aren’t high schooler who wants to play in college or a resident of the state of North Carolina, why do you care?
Growth. Time and time again the growth of Division I lacrosse has been called stagnant. But since 2008, Division I has added at least one team every year. Lacrosse is not only moving west to Kentucky and Michigan, it’s moving south to North Carolina (yes…again), South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. With High Point, there will be three Big South Conference teams. With Mercer this spring there will be two Atlantic Sun Teams. Why is High Point important to the lacrosse world? It’s making bigger and smarter moves. Making better moves. The backing the school has already, is better than backing from other schools.
In all, keep your eyes to the South. Reining champion Duke, new old kids on the block U of North Carolina, hardened coach-led Jacksonville and new Mercer Da Bears are here. High Point Panthers are ready to jump on the scene. Lax in the south. Believe it.
Frog on a Blog.
