San Diego State University has a Division I women’s lacrosse program, while the men compete at the club level without varsity status.
On one side of campus, SDSU women’s lacrosse competes in the NCAA with scholarships, athletic department support and national recognition. On the other hand, the men’s club teams practice late into the night, travel across the country and fund much of their season out of pocket.
The gap begs a bigger question: Why does SDSU have a varsity women’s lacrosse team, but not a Division I men’s program?
It’s more than wins and losses. It’s the intersection of Title IX gender-equity rules, athletic department finances, roster balance and the increasing costs of starting a new NCAA sport. But for the student-athletes on the men’s club team, it’s personal, too.
As lacrosse grows in popularity across the country, SDSU’s split model is emblematic of how universities are navigating opportunity, resources and recognition in today’s college sports landscape.
Freshman midfielder Davis Reardon said his passion for lacrosse made continuing his career at SDSU an easy decision.
“I chose to play club lacrosse because it has been a huge passion of mine since the first grade, and I always wanted to play at the next level,” Reardon said. “I’ve found a great community through this team and lifelong friendships.”
Despite the club label, Reardon said people are often surprised by the level of competition.
“It’s way more competitive than people think,” he said. “A lot of guys played at a high level in high school. Some could’ve gone to play in college but chose this instead. Practices are legit, games are intense and teams actually care about winning.”
The commitment mirrors that of many varsity programs. The team practices late at night during the week and travels often for weekend games.
“It’s a pretty large time commitment, much more than high school, and gives off the full college athlete experience,” Reardon said. “Practices are 8 to 10 p.m. every weekday, and games are on weekends, most of which we travel for.”
But unlike NCAA athletes, club players often have to pay many of their own expenses.
“It costs about $3,000 to play for the year,” Reardon said. “That covers travel, hotels, food and gear. As a club sport, we can’t get full scholarships, and I think that stops a lot of good players at the school from playing.”
That financial obstacle underscores one of the most evident distinctions between club and varsity sports: availability. The women’s lacrosse team benefits from institutional funding and scholarships, while the men’s team relies heavily on player contributions and limited university support.
However, Reardon said the term “club” does not accurately represent the nature of the program.
“It’s real competition,” he said. “Just because it’s ‘club’ doesn’t mean it’s not high-level. Guys are still putting in time, effort and money to play. There’s a lot of pride in representing the school. It deserves more respect than people give it.”
As SDSU works to balance gender-equity requirements with the financial realities of Division I athletics, the future of men’s lacrosse remains uncertain. But for the athletes currently wearing SDSU across their jerseys, the commitment and pride are far more than those of a typical club experience.
