Sonny Side Up: The Last Badger Standing
The University of Wisconsin represents the “last man standing” as it relates to the collegiate club lacrosse nationwide.
The school from Mad City represents the final “name” large state school which has a non-varsity lacrosse club that doesn’t already compete in the MCLA.
As lacrosse has exploded across the US, the MCLA has enjoyed it’s own “Manifest Destiny” over the last 13 seasons gobbling up teams, geographic regions, and in some cases, entire conferences (UMLL and Pioneer). Miami to Seattle/British Columbia, Boston to San Diego, and Minnesota south to Texas. The MCLA is truly coast to coast, nationwide with 210+ teams across the land.
The UW lacrosse club, which has existed since 1978, was the final MCLA “holdout,” if you will.
I’ve been able to confirm from multiple sources that the UW Lacrosse team has already submitted their application to the Great Rivers Lacrosse Conference and will be in attendance at the GRLC Meeting this Saturday in St. Louis. Assuming that application is approved at this meeting, the Badgers should begin MCLA play in 2010 and probably will compete for a berth in Denver immediately.
If my information is true, I’m very excited for the Badgers and the MCLA. However, several questions come to mind.
Why did Wisconsin apply to the Great Rivers Lacrosse Conference and not the Upper Midwest Lacrosse League (UMLL) which offers MCLA competition much closer to Madison then states like Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana?
I can’t answer that one. Duluth and Minnesota would (& should) welcome more top flight competition in their own conference. Nearby Marquette probably would appreciate having their in-state rival playing in their own conference too. Geography still rules the roost.
Why were they given the option to apply to a different conference other then the UMLL? I know this is the classic “Federal Government vs. States Rights debate” in the MCLA and no one wants the big bad MCLA board dictating to any one single team or conference. But the MCLA is driving the car. Shouldn’t the MCLA specify that’s it’s in everyone’s best interest for Wisconsin to be in the UMLL? Logically, it’s the right thing to do.
How will the Wisconsin Lacrosse Program, which prides itself on offering 3 different club teams in the loosely organized Great Lakes Lacrosse League, handle the much stricter MCLA eligibility rules and the NCAA rules for uniforms, equipment, and play?
One thing is for certain…. Adapting to the MCLA on the lacrosse field is much easier then modifying your team’s culture to the MCLA off the field.
Welcome aboard Bucky Badger! Glad to see that you have so much school spirit. Now the real work begins….
CollegeLAX Founder Sonny Pieper just got done with his 15th year of lacrosse officiating. Stay tuned to CollegeLAX for the latest MCLA news and chat.
