Texas finally has a Division I lacrosse program.
Southern Methodist University announced Thursday that it will add men’s lacrosse as a varsity sport. The Mustangs will begin competition in the 2027-28 academic year. Private donors are funding the program entirely.
Rumors circulated around this move for the last six months. In May, SMU athletic director Damon Evans told On3 there’s “chatter about lacrosse.” It grew to a clamor in recent weeks as SMU neared this historic announcement, especially after a slew of high-profile Ivy League players entered the transfer portal to pursue fifth years elsewhere after they graduate this spring.
The move makes SMU the first Power Four school to add men’s lacrosse since Utah in 2018-19 and just the fourth in the last 40-plus years, joining Michigan (2012) and Notre Dame (1981). Utah’s launch was also funded by donors.
SMU also becomes the first NCAA Division I lacrosse program in Texas history and increases ACC men’s lacrosse membership to six schools — the minimum required for the conference champion to receive an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament — for the first time since 2014 when Maryland was still a part of the conference.
“This is a historic moment for SMU and for the sport of lacrosse,” Evans said in a press release issued Thursday. “We are proud to be the first Division I school to bring men's lacrosse to Texas, a sport that has tremendous growth potential across our state. This is a bold investment that will bring another elite program to our campus, and we expect to compete and win immediately.”
In a separate statement emailed to USA Lacrosse Magazine, Evans indicated the school has already begun its search for a head coach.
“We’re being thorough in our search because this hire sets the tone for everything that follows,” he said. “We want a coach who can recruit, develop and build a culture that wins in the ACC. We’re not there yet, but we’ll have more to share soon.”
SMU already has a lacrosse venue — Crum Lacrosse and Sports Field — built for its club teams in 2016. The university aims to renovate and expand it as part of the $25 million campaign to launch and sustain varsity lacrosse.
The athletics department has raised $15 million toward that goal and expects to generate the remaining $10 million by April 1, 2027.
The founding donors are:
- Kamela A. Aboussie and Kenneth E. Aboussie, Jr.
- Anthony N. Creme '98 and Kali N. Crème
- Gary T. Crum '69 and Sylvie P. Crum
- Bert A. Getz, Jr. '89, Susan Getz, and the Globe Foundation
- Andrew D. McCullough, Jr. '91 and Laura McCullough
- Drew and Amy McKnight
- Scott and Kimberly
- Sarah A. Scharbauer '03
- Karen J. Scharbauer '74
- Christine Underwood and David M. Underwood, Jr. '88
- Danielle A. Walker and Thomas B. Walker, III
“SMU is so proud to bring high-level lacrosse to the Hilltop,” said Jay Hartzell, the university’s president. “From the moment we began exploring this opportunity, the enthusiastic support we received has only reinforced our conviction that lacrosse belongs in Texas. SMU is thrilled to be once again leading the way.”
For a state where the sport has grown rapidly of late, this moment was a long time coming.
FIFTY-FIVE YEARS IN THE MAKING
College lacrosse first came to Texas on May 8, 1971. That day, Johns Hopkins and Navy played inside the Houston Astrodome, and Navy won 9-6. Two years later, the University of Texas started a club team. It still competes in the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA).
Varsity lacrosse followed slowly, and only at the Division III level. The University of Dallas added women’s lacrosse in 2004 and men’s lacrosse in 2011, then dropped both programs in 2022. Southwestern University added men’s lacrosse in 2010 and women’s lacrosse in 2014.
Division I lacrosse stayed out of reach. Apart from occasional neutral-site games, Texas fans had to travel to see the sport’s top level. SMU’s own Ford Stadium once hosted the Patriot Cup, a showcase that brought high school, MCLA and Division I teams to campus.
According to Inside Lacrosse, North Carolina, Syracuse, Princeton and Cornell are playing in doubleheaders at SMU this spring as part of Corrigan Sports Enterprises’ slate of 2027 events.
The Mustangs have a long lacrosse history of their own. SMU’s club program dates to the late 1970s and competes in the Lone Star Alliance, a club conference with teams from Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma.
A STATE READY FOR THE GAME
SMU’s announcement comes as USA Lacrosse is investing more in Texas. This summer, USA Lacrosse launched the Texas Lacrosse Growth Fund, a three-year plan to speed up growth, expand access and build a lasting statewide foundation for the sport.
The fund aims to raise $1 million over three years. Its priorities are bringing more young players into the game through school physical education programs, training more coaches and officials and helping launch more boys’ and girls’ high school programs across the state.
When the fund launched, USA Lacrosse President and CEO Marc Riccio called Texas “one of the fastest growing lacrosse markets in the country.”
“This is an incredibly exciting milestone for our sport and for Texas,” Riccio said Thursday. “USA Lacrosse has been committed to growing the game across the state, working alongside local leaders through the Texas Lacrosse Growth Fund to expand opportunities at the grassroots level. The addition of SMU’s program is another major step forward and can help drive greater participation, visibility and growth for the future.
Until now, Texas players chasing a Division I career had one option: Leave home. Most notably, Dallas native Charlotte North played at Duke and Boston College and became one of the biggest stars in the sport.
On the men’s side, the state has produced numerous Division I All-Americans, including Greg Bice (Ohio State), Brandon Mullins (Syracuse), Nakeie Montgomery (Duke) and Cade Saustad (Virginia). One of the top recruits in the Class of 2028, Notre Dame commit Harrison Tyler, is originally from Dallas.
SMU potentially changes the trajectory for future stars from the state. Inside Lacrosse reported that the university also intends to add women’s lacrosse in 2031 or 2032.
“Our long-term goal for lacrosse at SMU is to grow the sport in multiple ways,” Evans told USA Lacrosse Magazine. “For now, this campaign is dedicated to launching the men’s program.”
A Division I program in Dallas gives young players a team to follow and a goal to reach for. It also gives every youth coach in the state a new recruiting pitch.
Although the sport is not yet sanctioned at the high school level in Texas, statewide participation is on the rise. According to USA Lacrosse data, there are more than 30,000 people who play, coach or officiate lacrosse in Texas, the largest concentration of whom reside in Dallas.
WHAT’S NEXT
SMU has designated Ryan McCabe, senior associate athletic director for compliance, as the program lead. McCabe will lead efforts to build out the operations of the lacrosse program, including coordinating recruiting.
The first faceoff is still more than a year away. For Texas lacrosse, the wait that began under the Astrodome roof in 1971 is almost over.
