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Is Utah Lacrosse a varsity program?
No. Men's Lacrosse is "varsity sports club" program at Utah. The Department of Campus Sports Recreation and the Athletic Department both support our program in many ways, so while Men's Lacrosse is not an official "varsity sport," we do receive a number of benefits similar to the benefits varsity teams at Utah receive. For example, our program is the only team who the athletic department will line the indoor turf for. The lacrosse program is supported by both recreational sports department staffs and the Utah athletic department takes part in many areas. Our lacrosse program also receives great benefits through the athletic department's contract with Under Armour.
At Utah, lacrosse us far more similar to a typical NCAA program than it is to a summer league, or men's league team.
As a club and not an official varsity program, our players pay dues to provide a portion of the budget, with most of the funding coming from fundraising and sponsorships. Our program does not offer athletic scholarships the same way a varsity sport does at Utah. However there are scholarship opportunities available that more resemble "financial aid" than a typical "athletic scholarship."
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Can lacrosse help me get admitted to Utah?
In some ways, but not in others. The bottom line, is that you must be academically qualified to be accepted to the University of Utah. If you are not, then there is really nothing that we can do, that is the bottom line. But, if you are an athlete who our staff recruits and really wants to attend the school, what our staff can do is help you figure out what can be done to get you qualified if you are not already, and will guide you in the process.
If you are interested in going to school here and playing here for our program, fill out the recruiting questionnaire on this website. That's the first step.
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Why would I want to play lacrosse at Utah?
There are lots of reasons to play lacrosse at Utah.
First of all, Utah is a great place to get a college education. The University of Utah is consistently recognized as one of the top 80 universities in the world! Utah offers one of the best combinations of academics, athletics, and overall college atmosphere in the country. Salt Lake City offers a very unique environment that includes the benefits of a major metro, with simply unparalleled outdoor recreation activities at all times throughout the year. Whether you are a city slicker and need to be in a busy downtown, or an avid skier, fisherman, or rock climber, Salt Lake offers it.
Second, Utah Lacrosse provides a very competitive lacrosse experience, on a national scale, and gives student-athletes a great way to develop lifelong friendships. We expect a lot from our student-athletes both on and off the field, and they expect a lot from the program. The experience of playing here is very similar to a Division 1 experience. Our players choose Utah, some of who receive varsity opportunities, because of the combination of very serious lacrosse, outstanding academics, and the culture and climate of Salt Lake City.
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Who does the team play?
Utah is a member of the Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association. The MCLA is made up of 213 teams in 10 conferences that represent virtually every region of the country. Utah is a member of the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse Association which is widely recognized as the best conference in the country. All of the programs in the MCLA are club teams that operate as "virtual varsities." They are coached, highly structured teams, many with large budgets, that compete on a national scale.
Utah's regular season schedule usually includes many of the top MCLA programs from around the country. Teams like, Colorado State, Colorado, Oregon, California-Santa Barbara, Sonoma State, Montana, Gonzaga, Arizona, Simon Fraser, are regularly on the schedule. The Annual Holy War rivalry game against Brigham Young is always the biggest lacrosse game in the state each year.
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Will there ever be varsity lacrosse at Utah?
Most likely, but don't hold your breath. With the phenomenal growth of lacrosse continuing at the youth and high school levels across the country, it surprises many that a school with the athletic reputation of Utah doesn't have a varsity program, while nearby schools like Air Force, Denver, Adams State, Mesa State do. Obviously, a varsity program at Utah would have incredible potential.
Unfortunately, as schools scramble to maintain compliance with Title IX, the federally mandated requirement to provide gender equity in athletics, men's Division 1 lacrosse is stuck at about 60 teams. The addition of men's lacrosse at Utah would require the addition of at least one and possibly two similar women's teams (women's lacrosse?) at the same time. This would not be cheap.
The fastest way toward a full varsity team at Utah is through major endowment level gifts that would fund the program. The Utah staff, alumni and boosters are working toward that goal now, but there is no firm date set for a varsity program yet. As the growth continues the move is inevitable, but it could take years.
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What are games and travel like?
Starting in 2011, the team finally has McCarthey Field, an outdoor home field where all home games are played. In the case of bad weather, games are played in the Spence Eccles Fieldhouse. Both venues have a state-of-the-art FieldTurf surface, which has proven to be a nearly perfect surface for lacrosse. With paying crowds of 200-1000 people, home lacrosse games are exciting events in our community.
On the road the team travels either in charter buses or commercial flights. We provide a safe, efficient travel atmosphere that minimizes missed class time and allows our student-athletes to focus on their studies and the game at hand. The team always presents itself on the road in a manner befitting the University of Utah- in official team attire, respectful and proud.
The regular season always ends with Utah's biggest rival - BYU. This game has become the biggest lacrosse event in the state of Utah, now drawing over 2,000 fans. The game is played as the showcase game at "Laxapalooza" at the football stadium of a regional high school in order to better promote it to fans throughout the state.
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How can I join the team?
Each year is broken into two sections, fall and spring. The fall season consists of two to three practices a week and several scrimmages. We use the fall season as a tryout period. If you are interested in playing, please contact Coach Morris early with a call or e-mail for details. The fall season runs through November and usually includes games against great local opponents. The first cut is one week into practice, and the final cut is at the end of October. We also have a try-out date in early January for players who are not in town during the Fall for various reasons, but it is extremely unlikely that any "new" player would make the roster without playing in the Fall. 35 spots are available every year for the active roster.
Participation in Fall is absolutely necessary to join the team unless there is a very significant circumstance which would prevent it.
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Can I join after my freshman year?
Yes, but it's more difficult. With tryouts becoming increasingly competitive we are looking for players who will make a four year commitment to the team. As a transfer or upperclassman looking to make the team, you would have to show tremendous potential to contribute, which is possible.
We often have freshmen who want to wait a year before trying out in order to get "acclimated to college life" or feel like they "don't have time while getting used to college." In almost every case, we will say that this is a mistake. First, it's harder to make the team as a sophomore, but much more importantly, most people, when they have increased amount of free time suddenly available, do not improve their focus on anything, but rather develop bad study habits and other priorities. Having the commitment of playing lacrosse (or participating in any serious endeavor) helps our student-athletes learn to prioritize, manage time, and organize their lives.
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What do I have to do to be eligible to play?
MCLA eligibility rules are based on NCAA rules, but slightly simplified. MCLA players have four years of eligibility in college lacrosse (club, MDIA, or varsity). In order to play, you must carry at least 12 credit hours throughout the regular season (spring semestr). The only way you can carry less than 12 credit hours is if it is your final semester of school, and you are taking the courses you need to graduate. All players must be in "Good Adacemic Standing" in school.
Transfers from NCAA varsity programs do not need to sit out a year before they are eligible to play for an MCLA team. Our coaches monitor all players academic standings and the MCLA conducts periodic eligibility checks to ensure that all players are eligible.
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How much will it cost to play?
Our total team budget is over $125,000 per year, depending on the size of the team and amount of travel. We fund this budget through fundraising, corporate partnerships, gate receipts and dues.
Utah Lacrosse dues are $2,000 per player, and an additional $500 for first year players for team equipment such as helmet(s), bags, etc. Our dues are far lower than most club teams in the nation, many of whose are well over $3,000 per player each year.
While the expense may sound excessive at first, consider this: 1. Our dues essentially equal the cost of four or five summer lacrosse camps totaling 20 days or so, but they cover a year-round lacrosse experience of a lifetime. 2. Many varsity programs also count on dues and fundraising to cover their budgets. We are not that different.
Since the team dues add up to only about half of our annual budget, fundraising efforts are critical. While most are done by the coaches, the team does participate in many fundraisers throughout the year, most of which are lots of fun. The primary fundraiser each year is that our team supports the Football and Men's Basketball teams by selling programs at their home games. This provides great revenues to the team, and lets up make a contribution to the athletic department at the school. In addition, the team depends on the generous support of sponsors.
Dues are essential to the existence of our team, but we have a philosophy here that money issues should never keep anyone from playing. If you and your family have a real problem affording dues, we can always work something out such as team jobs, and scholarships to make sure you have an opportunity. |
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What kind of commitment does it take to play for Utah?
Playing lacrosse at Utah is a big commitment. This is not thrown together club lacrosse. Two evenings of practice/scrimmage per week in the fall plus a spring schedule of 4 nights a week from about 6 - 10 p.m. accounts for a big chunk of time. The season runs from mid-February through late May. In-season the team spends several weekends on the road and usually half of their spring break for games. Spring Camp requires players to return to Salt Lake about 1 week prior to the start of the semester, and the post-season tournament schedules can force players to stay in Salt Lake two weeks after the spring semester ends. It's tough and it's a lot of time and very hard work, but it is absolutely worth it.
The goals we set at Utah are high. You wouldn't be attending or considering Utah if your goals were not equally high. In order to have a chance to achieve our goals, we demand a commitment from our players. We expect people to show up to meetings, practices and games on time and ready to devote 100% of their energy to lacrosse. We've found that lacrosse forces students to become more organized and learn to prioritize rather than procrastinate. Many of our student-athletes combine lacrosse with demanding courses of study like engineering or business. Even so, our team GPA every year is well above a 3.0. The time commitment of lacrosse, and a peer group of equally motivated student-athletes, actually helps most in achieving their other goals.
If you are looking for an opportunity to be a part of something special, to continue or start your lacrosse career at a highly competitive level, to win for Utah, then come out for what will likely be one of the best experiences of your life.
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