Prior to Maryland and Rutgers being added as B1G members, this article was out about Minnesota starting varsity lacrosse.

http://www.collegecrosse.com/2012/10/15/3501732/minnesota-lacrosse-division-i-gophers

Quote:Could Minnesota be the next BCS athletic department to make the next jump to NCAA lacrosse? As far as developing hotbeds are concerned, Minnesota is strong and the support that the Swarm has enjoyed is impressive. Further, hockey crossover was a huge hit in both Colorado and Michigan; Minnesota’s potential in that area could be even stronger. The Gophers' new AD Norwood Teague apparently has a lacrosse playing background and has been confirmed to have taken meetings with [Minnesota head coach Rich Limpert.] The Big Ten has even more incentive and reach to break into men’s lacrosse and as we saw in Ann Arbor, a zealous new AD can sometimes be the tipping point. The Gophers have already received advanced weight room privileges and will play at least one game this year in TCF Bank Stadium, Minnesota’s new football venue where they hosted St. Thomas last year.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/gopher...er&refer=y

Quote:• On potentially adding or cutting from the list of 25 Gophers sports teams: "There could be a time that could change, but I think it would be more of an addition than subtraction. ... [Adding lacrosse] is mentioned all the time. We'll look at it, but it doesn't mean it will happen any time soon."

In areas with an existing hockey culture, lacrosse's growth is especially impressive. In Canada, the east and west coasts have had significant lacrosse followings, but now the middle of that country lax is also taking off especially in box (hockey rink/arena football) lacrosse.

For a number of years, have been a proponent of North Dakota starting lacrosse (and dropping baseball) as our facilities will be perfect for LAX (new indoor 100 yd practice facility plus 12,000 seat indoor football arena for lacrosse), plus our hockey recruiting areas include heavy lacrosse play (western Canada - where our visibility is already high - increasingly the west coast lacrosse markets (reciprocity with most western states), and now the Twin Cities), beat Minnesota to the punch, further collaborate with Denver U's athletics and possibly affiliate with PAC12 schools.