Head coach Brian Holman of the University of Utah men’s lacrosse team isn’t too tech-savvy — he prefers to tell stories in person rather than through tweets. Making and receiving calls, sending an occasional text and snapping a few pictures to add to his camera roll are the only things Holman needs his phone for, but he makes sure to document the important moments.
“The other day, I was scrolling back through the photos I had, and I came across the first picture I took when I visited the University of Utah the first time,” Holman said. “Ironically enough, the date on those pictures was June 18, 2016 — the first day I stepped foot on this unbelievable gorgeous campus and really felt that this could become something extremely special.”
Holman’s inkling was right.
Utah athletic director Chris Hill announced on Friday, June 16, that Utah will add men’s lacrosse to its NCAA sports list. Hill said he felt this was not the biggest surprise because the word about lacrosse wanting to join the NCAA had already been out for a while. No team has joined the the university’s list of NCAA sports since 1995 when women’s soccer was added, but with lacrosse set to become a member in the 2018-19 season, Hill sees this as an “opportunity and a necessity” for Utah.
“One of the things we have to do and choose to do and want to do as a university is provide as many opportunities as we can for students,” Hill said. “I can make you a guarantee when you are 50 years old, you are going to run into somebody, and they are going to say, ‘Tell me about yourself.’ You are going to say, ‘I’m married, have children, I was born here, here’s my job, and I played lacrosse at the University of Utah.’”
Not all sports at the college are offered the chance to play in the NCAA, and they instead play as a club. With lacrosse making the transition, it’s a privilege that will be remembered forever according to Hill, and it’s a unique experience worth being a part of.
Adding a 20th NCAA sport was something that had been on Hill’s mind for some time. It didn’t happen overnight, but it is something Holman credits to his family, because they allowed him to chase his dreams. According to Holman, it was a leap of faith, and it’s going to be a big jump for his team.
“The reality is [we] are going through about three to four layers of competition to reach the highest level,” Holman said. “I recognize that. Our staff recognizes that. I think the advantage that we have is that we all are very familiar with that level, and we know what it takes to compete there, so do I anticipate some time to get us up? Yes. In reality we’ll see, but we are going to do everything it takes to get there as fast as we possibly can.”
Bringing recognition to the school and competing at the highest levels against the best of the best is what Holman envisions for his team, but what he thinks this program can bring to a Division I university goes beyond playing the sport itself.
“I think [lacrosse is] second in the country in graduation rates in all NCAA sports, so that’s number one, the educational piece because that’s the first step of the process,” Holman said. “I think we will bring a high level of academics. Our GPA minimum on our team as an average will be a 3.0 and above, so we are going to strive, and we will achieve that.”
Not only are there athletic and academic bullet points, but Holman and Hill also believes this program will bring a sense of community.
As an athletic department, Hill said it’s their vision to be innovative leaders and promoting lacrosse is the way to do that. While it’s an opportunity for success, there is work to be done for Holman and his team before their debut as the first Pac-12 NCAA men’s lacrosse team.
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