(Well, I'm not sure why this didn't post at 7am like it was scheduled to do. Sorry for the late posting folks. Things should be back to normal tomorrow with Paulie returning from vacation. -- Jeff "Worldwide" McAdams)
Whither To, UofL Athletics?
Over the past two years, we have all celebrated the many successes of UofL Athletics, and have been able to celebrate with every sports team that UofL fields as all have achieved successes, with many of them making great strides forward.
But what would be the next steps for the UofL Athletic department? What would be the next sports that UofL should add? We should point out that we don't have any knowledge of any plans to add any sports to the Athletic Department, but think it's fun to consider the possibilities.
Conference Competition
As with so much having to do with UofL Athletics this year, we should consider our new conference association.
We've pointed out several times that all of UofL's sports have a home in The ACC, but what about the other direction? What sports does The ACC sponsor that UofL does not yet participate in? There are three.
It seems unlikely that UofL would be in any hurry to add Fencing or Wrestling. Both are certainly possible additions, but I don't see much demand for them.
What is probably a more likely conference sport to add would be Men's Lacrosse. After only seven years of competing, our Women's Lacrosse team is achieving national prominence and moving into what is unquestionably the strongest Lacrosse conference in the nation in both men's and women's competition. Adding Men's Lacrosse could be a solid choice for UofL, though it would probably raise some Title IX considerations if it were to be added in isolation. Competing in both Men's and Women's Lacrosse would probably boost recruitment, and the programs would have the possibility of sharing some of the infrastructure, to the benefit of both.
Up and Coming Sports
There are a number of sports that are considered "Emerging Sports" at the NCAA, and I think several could be good candidates for UofL to add.
Regular readers will be unsurprised to learn that I top this list with Sand Volleyball. Much like adding Men's Lacrosse, adding Sand Volleyball (which the NCAA only currently sponsors for women) would bolster recruiting for our current Volleyball team. While the two teams wouldn't be able to share too much infrastructure, they can easily share student athletes. Many top up and coming volleyball players are starting to look at playing both sports in college, and with students being able to play both, but only needing to have a scholarship from one, both teams could bolster their overall rosters. The NCAA also sponsors Men's Volleyball, so that would be another sport that would be easy to add with similar benefits and Title IX considerations to adding Men's Lacrosse.
UofL already has a club Ice Hockey team, and making that a varsity sport is certainly a possibility. Like Men's Lacrosse, this would have Title IX considerations to think about. The NCAA does sponsor championships in both Men's and Women's Ice Hockey, but I am unaware of any participation at the club level of UofL in Women's Ice Hockey.
Stunt is a developing sport that is essentially competitive cheerleading. This is not even to the point of being considered an emerging sport at the NCAA yet, but UofL is already occasionally competing in Stunt competitions...and nearly universally winning, given the outstanding quality of the UofL Spirit Squads. Adding this as a sport would complement and support the amazing Spirit Squad program at UofL.
Another NCAA emerging sport that might have some attraction in the Louisville area, although not much from me to be honest, is Women's Equestrian.
Some other NCAA emerging sports that I don't see any particular attraction for UofL, are Rugby, Water Polo, and Triathalon. All three are sponsored in both Men's and Women's forms by the NCAA.
Other Common NCAA Sports
There are a number of Championship Sports in the NCAA that UofL does not participate in. These could all be candidates to be added, though I don't see any particular attraction to UofL for any of them (where a gender isn't mentioned, the NCAA sponsors both Men's and Women's)
- Gymnastics
- Rifle
- Skiing
- Water Polo
- Women's Bowling
Non-NCAA Sports?
Sports don't have to be sponsored by the NCAA for a school to participate...for example, we mentioned on the radio show recently that Stanford competes in Men's and Women's Sailing, Women's Squash, and Synchronized Swimming.
What do you think? Are there other sports that you think UofL could add? Let's hear your thoughts in the comments.
I don't disagree with you on the interest. However, you might point out that "lack of interest" could have been applied to the rowing team. Now, that squad is doing well, attracting participants and their facility is a great addition to the City of Louisville waterfront.
ReplyDeleteRugby would be the most logical choice on the men's side. Louisville had had a semi-pro team for years. So would men and women's bowling. More and more high schools are adding it as a sport and Louisville has a great youth program for bowlers.
ReplyDeleteCurtis Franklin.
I would not support some of these teams, but that does not assume that others wouldn't. It would also be nice if the sports administrators would consider teams that would not be strongly supported by the public. I know that support(spell that money) is essential, to a degree, for some sports because they are expensive, but sports like sand volleyball and a few other would not be such an expensive endeavor.
ReplyDeleteAfter all, universities should be about the students, and their needs should be considered as well and many existing facilities could be adopted and adapted by and for these new endeavors.
You all bring out great points. Certainly the factors that point to different sports are not always evident to casual fans.
ReplyDeleteTitle IX considerations are important at many schools, though I think UofL has been so aggressive at meeting Title IX requirements that we probably have more wiggle room than most. That leads to many schools adding sports like bowling, which requires virtually no infrastructure investment, but still provides a nice boost for Title IX compliance. Rowing is similar...it requires more infrastructure investment, but provides a *huge* Title IX boost because of the huge number of participants (53 currently on UofL's roster, and that's during the summer months where graduated seniors are dropped off and before incoming freshmen are added).
Whether the sport is a sport in decline (as we've heard Justine Sowry say the NCAA considers Field Hockey) versus a growth sport (such as Lacrosse), plays into it as well. I can only imagine that, overall, bowling would be considered a sport in decline, so it may not be quite so attractive to add it. (FWIW, the NCAA does not sponsor Men's Bowling).