The Title IX Dilemma
by on February 21, 2008 @09:07:36 PM

Take a closer look... Villanova typically has a Top 20 team in both basketball, as well as 1-AA football. They also traditionally have one of the best track programs in the country. It's very difficult for a scholarship football school to add scholarships for mens lacrosse (or any other men’s sport) because of Title IX. Villanova would have to add one Women’s sport scholarship for every one they add for men’s lacrosse. So in Villanova's case, we aren't talking about adding 6-12 scholarships... we're talking 12-24. (@ $35K/year, that’s $420K-$840K/year conservatively) That's a big nut for the athletic department to swallow.

Having played at Villanova, if they can make the scholarship leap, I think they can definitely become a perennial Top 20 program. There’s talent in the Philly area (Malvern Prep, Haverford and Downingtown have very strong programs), and the school traditionally draws from North Jersey, Long Island and Connecticut. All thing's being equal (which they aren't right now, recruiting against scholarship programs), Villanova can definitely draw its fair share of talent and contend.

Take a look a Georgetown as an example… 20 years ago, they were in the same boat as Villanova… very comparable programs (I’d argue Villanova was slightly better). At Georgetown, which didn’t have a scholarship football program, the school made a commitment to lacrosse… established scholarships, brought in Dave Urick from Hobart, and look what they’ve become. It all boils down to either Villanova having to ante up 12-24 scholarships to upgrade its lacrosse programs (presumably Men’s as well as Women’s), or the NCAA has to provide scholarship football schools some Title IX relief for their men’s programs. If the latter happens, you are going to see at least twice the number of Division 1-A men’s lacrosse programs, because the Collegiate Club logjam will go away.