Cleveland State's Division I Lacrosse Timeline Pushed Back

In September, Lacrosse Magazine opened up the Ark of the Covenant and didn't have its face melted, instead discovering that Cleveland State was considering adding a Division I men's lacrosse program to its slate of athletic offerings. The potential genesis point for the Vikings at college lacrosse's highest level pointed toward the 2016 season, and Cleveland.com confirmed the university's desire to get a program going as recently as mid-November. The timeline for Cleveland State -- which would become Ohio's second Division I program alongside Ohio State -- to throw hands with the NCAA's best programs has, however, been pushed back.

As Corey McLaughlin at Lacrosse Magazine reports:

The earliest a new NCAA Division I men's lacrosse program at Cleveland State University will debut is the spring of 2017 as the school is still working on funding for the program and finalizing plans to add a women's sport along with men's lacrosse.

The addition of men's lacrosse for 2016 was considered by the administration over the last month at CSU, but athletic director John Parry said this week the timeline has been pushed back.

He said a decision could be made in March and, if approved, Parry would look to hire a coach in spring of 2015 that could recruit the program's inaugural class for an entire year.

This doesn't appear to imply that Cleveland State is cooling on the idea of adding a Division I men's lacrosse program. Rather, it reflects a decision to not race into something without the proper resources and plans to find success on the field. With an extended timeline to address all issues involved with sponsoring a program, the Vikings could -- in the long run -- actually end up in a stronger position than the program would have been in had Cleveland State stuck to a truncated period to get a team off the ground and into interstellar lacrosse competition.

When you're ready for us, Cleveland State, we'll be ready for you.