Here is how Division III Men’s Lacrosse has grown in the past few years

This article appeared in the D3lacrosse.net newsletter, February 28, 2025

Using publicly available filings with the Office of Postsecondary Education’s Equity in Athletics Data Analysis (EADA) tool, it is possible to compare NCAA Division III men’s (and next week, women’s) lacrosse programs to see what, if any, growth is occurring in the sport.

To assess this, I compared the 2018-19 academic year (2019 season) and the 2022-23 academic year (2023 season) as it is the most recent filing. Data from the 2020 COVID season is skewed as operating expenses were considerably less due to canceled games. So, this is as close a pre-COVID look as we can get.

Specifically, I looked at three pieces of data for this analysis: average roster size, average operating expense per participant, and the average operating expense per team. Operating expenses are defined in the EADA report as: “all expenses an institution incurs attributable to home, away, and neutral-site intercollegiate athletic contests (commonly known as "game-day expenses"), for (A) Lodging, meals, transportation, uniforms, and equipment for coaches, team members, support staff (including, but not limited to team managers and trainers), and others; and (B) Officials.” In other words, nearly everything but coach salaries, recruiting and athletic-related aid.

The data is in the table below.

Multiplying the number of teams in each season by the average roster size reveals an overall increase in participation of 707.34 total men’s lacrosse players from 2019 to 2023.

Roster size in 2019 ranged from 14 (n=3 schools) to 70 (n=1). In 2023, roster size ranged from a low of 12 (n=1) to a high of 66 (n=1). Thirty-nine schools reported 50 or more athletes on their roster in 2023, compared to nearly half that many (n=19) in 2019.

Operating expenses per team in 2018 ranged from just $3,463 (n=1) on the low end, to $302,582 (n=1) on the high end. In 2023, the low range of operating expenses per team was $4,672 (n=1) with a high end of $262,487 (n=1).

In 2019, 17 schools spent greater than $100,000 in operating expenses on men’s lacrosse, with only one school topping the $200,000 mark. In 2023, 44 schools spent more than $100,000, including three schools that topped the $200,000.

While the data shows clear growth in the sport across all measures, the sharp increase in the overall number of schools with operating expenses in excess of $100,000 (27 more schools in 2023 than in 2019) could be concerning, particularly for schools that do not have robust budgets.

Next week, I will run the same analysis for NCAA Division III Women’s Lacrosse.