(10-06-2022 02:20 AM)DawgNBama Wrote:  I recall reading an online article dealing with conference realignment and Virginia and thought it rather odd that one of the cons of Virginia joining the SEC was no varsity men's soccer and no men's or women's lacrosse.
I am not sure how popular lacrosse is in the Deep South (apparently it's popular enough for every SEC team to have a club lacrosse team) , but I know for a fact that soccer, both men's and women's, is a sport with growing popularity in the Deep South, and I really wonder why only Kentucky and South Carolina have men's varsity soccer.

Due to defections, C-USA no longer sponsors men’s soccer. It was a decent conference for soccer with some good rivalry games. S. Carolina and Kentucky are now SunBelt affiliates for soccer. So is West Virginia. Central Florida joins for soccer in 2023.

It is not clear what other SEC schools are planning to upgrade or implement soccer. It is my understanding that Alabama has moved to upgrade their program from club level. One may think that places such as Georgia, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Auburn, Missouri, and Florida would consider it. If 5 or 6 schools did so, the SEC conference could have a formidable league in a short period of time. Some conferences, women’s soccer is better established.

I doubt lacrosse will get embraced in the SEC for a long time, if it ever happens. ACC schools, such as Virginia and Duke, value their lacrosse. It won’t control expansion decisions, but compatibility in sponsorships is a considered factor.