The UConn Men’s Lacrosse team recently won their first Pioneer League Tournament Championship, earning them their first trip to the national tournament, to be held this year in Orange, California.
Unlike D-1 lacrosse, MCLA sees most of its powerhouse teams concentrated on the west coast, as there are very few schools that sponsor it. As a result, even ranked UConn teams have failed to earn an at-large bid in the past. That this would be the year that UConn would break through is somewhat ironic, as the team was not as strong as they have been in recent years, entering the conference tournament at only 4-6. A hot run through the tournament, including a win over rival UNH, is all they needed to make it to nationals.
Because lacrosse is not currently sponsored by UConn, the players are tasked with raising the money to get to California on their own. For college students, this means cracking open piggy banks, begging parents, and starting a GoFundMe campaign.
Many larger athletic programs have recently added men’s lacrosse, with early success being shown by recent D1 additions Boston University, Marquette University and Michigan. Given the way that the ACC and Big Ten have aggressively pursued lacrosse talent, it might behoove UConn to consider upgrading their program to D1 status.
The Huskies will play their first game on Monday, May 11th against #2-seeded Arizona State.
