Although it’s not a popular sport in the South, lacrosse is making its way into universities in the region, and Alabama is no exception.
The Crimson Tide Lacrosse club sport team has been on campus since 1985, though Vice President Jake Springer said it has not been until recently that the club sport has gained success.
“For a long time, [lacrosse] had been almost invisible,” he said. “But since 2009, we’ve started to pick back up conference-wise.”
Despite not being an official University and Southeastern Conference sport, the team still plays other conference club teams. In fact, the team will face Louisiana State University on Friday at 7 p.m. at the UA Rec fields.
Springer, a junior from Baltimore, Md., said that there are many reasons that UA students should take time out of their Friday schedule to come out and cheer on the Crimson Tide.
“It never hurts to see LSU lose,” he said. “It’s also an opportunity to heckle the Tigers again.”
For those who do not understand the game of lacrosse, Springer said that, in essence, it is a cross between soccer and football.
The men’s team has not fared well since 1993, but Springer said that a new influx of students in the past three years has helped sparked the club.
“I have to say that Dr. Witt and Nick Saban have been our best recruiters,” he said. “With more and more students coming from places like Northeastern states, it really has helped.”
Springer said the sport has become more and more popular over the years in the state and region. “Look at it this way,” he said. “In 2007, there were only seven high schools in the state that offered lacrosse as a sport. Now, there are 17, so we see the interest in the sport steadily rising.”
As far as the sport becoming part of the UA Athletic Department, Springer said it has a long way to go but that the women’s team could make it’s way into the department in the near future.
“Many teams in our conference are looking to apply to their university’s athletic departments,” he said. “Women’s lacrosse could become an official university sport within the next decade.”
Springer said the team is looking to improve their 6-7 record from last year.
“I think we have a real nice shot at conference this year,” he said. “We are improving as a team year by year.”
