Syracuse men’s lacrosse head coach John Desko looked at his schedule. With SU finishing 5-8 in 2007 and missing the NCAA tournament for the first time in 25 years, Desko reassessed his logic.

He always thought Syracuse’s independent status provided tools the Orange needed for a national championship, let alone NCAA tournament appearances, every year. A high Rating Percentage Index and strength of schedule always helped SU’s seeding and preparation for the playoffs.

Not last year, when SU was unable to overcome its challenging slate of games. After strongly resisting support for a possible Big East conference for men’s lacrosse, Desko is now openly considering it because of his team’s recent struggles. Though qualifying for the NCAA tournament requires a .500 finish, winning an automatic qualifier (AQ) in a respective conference also results in a playoff bid. Desko scheduled SU’s season opener against Villanova, a possible Big East candidate, at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Carrier Dome. He did so keeping in mind that the Wildcats may become a regular opponent if a Big East conference forms.

‘For 25 years, we never had to think like that,’ Desko said. ‘All of a sudden (missing the tournament) happens. So it makes me wonder what the downside is again.’

Syracuse joins Georgetown, Notre Dame, St. John’s and Rutgers as viable and interested candidates for a Big East conference, a proposal Notre Dame coach Kevin Corrigan initiated (accounts vary on when the proposal started).

James Siedliski, the Big East’s associate commissioner of Olympic sports, said all Big East athletic directors met two weeks ago to discuss their latest stance on the issue. They concluded Villanova and/or Providence must decide by May whether it can fully fund its lacrosse programs and meet minimum scholarship criteria to become the sixth member – the minimum amount of teams required before a conference can be formed. Fully funded programs offer 12.6 scholarships a year.

Syracuse’s reconsideration isn’t the final step. But Siedliski and all possible Big East coaches, excluding Georgetown and Villanova, which could not be reached for comment, acknowledged Syracuse’s openness toward a Big East conference lowers a tall hurdle that previously stalled efforts.

‘One of the things that attracts everybody to the Big East is they want to have Syracuse involved,’ St. John’s head coach Jason Miller said. ‘Now that it seems they’ve changed their opinion on it and be on board, it’s a huge step in the right direction.’

Desko’s changed opinion in supporting a possible Big East conference doesn’t equate with a willingness to compromise Syracuse’s schedule, however. That was the primary reason why former SU lacrosse coach Roy Simmons Jr. (1971-1998) and Desko responded with ‘adamant opposition,’ recalled Jake Crouthamel, who served as Syracuse’s athletic director from 1978 to 2005, whenever talks of a Big East conference entered discussion.

Desko and Simmons Jr. boasted how Syracuse’s independent status, which Johns Hopkins also shares, freed their obligations to play teams they deemed significantly inferior. Instead, Syracuse could play teams like Johns Hopkins, Virginia and Princeton as well as other Central New York teams without worrying about conflicting schedules.

Johns Hopkins, Virginia and Princeton, combined with Syracuse, have won every NCAA championship since 1992 and are largely responsible for SU’s RPI and SOS. Nine national titles, 23 Final Fours and 24 NCAA tournament appearances since 1983 indicated the approach had been a winning strategy.

A conversation between Simmons and Desko last fall illustrates the latter’s recent contrasting attitude.

‘He didn’t cast his stone, but he said the talks have become more realistic,’ Simmons Jr. said.

Desko confirmed those comments but stressed he made those remarks based on feedback he received from Syracuse Director of Athletics Daryl Gross. Gross declined to comment, but said through a SU spokesman, ‘Syracuse is open to exploring the possibility of a Big East lacrosse conference.’

Desko’s scheduling with Villanova shows he wants it both ways – embracing an AQ and lumping possible Big East teams into his schedule without interfering with his traditional rivalries. Matchups with Georgetown and Rutgers, which have played Syracuse every year since 1995, mean SU would only need to include Notre Dame, St. John’s and possibly Providence if the Big East has its way.

Desko’s strategy hasn’t been easy. Both Desko and Providence coach Chris Burdick said they tried scheduling a game this year, but conflicting dates hurt the effort. When Desko looked at his current schedule before a recent practice, he struggled to name games he’d be willing to replace with Notre Dame, St. John’s and Providence, though the Fighting Irish have a No. 10 preseason ranking.

‘Maybe we could drop Army because it’s early in the season,’ Desko said. ‘(Massachusetts) won’t be in the Big East, maybe them. But I haven’t predetermined that.’

Whether Desko was just speaking in a stream of consciousness or was deliberate about which teams to drop, it’s worth noting Army upset Syracuse last year while Massachusetts ended SU’s Final Four and tournament hopes in 2005 and 2007, respectively.

Corrigan stressed the current progress could be negated by other logistics still to be ironed out.

‘You can take a snapshot and say, ‘It’s closer now,” Corrigan said. ‘But when you take another snapshot, you can say, ‘It’s farther now.”

The snapshot also reveals many other factors. First, Villanova’s and Providence’s position. Villanova’s coach Corrado and athletic director Vince Nicastro could not be reached for comment. Miller said Villanova officials expressed interest to other Big East representatives in the fall, but doesn’t plan on fully funding the program anytime soon. Burdick said joining the Big East is within Providence’s long-term interest but is not presently feasible. Siedliski declined to specify the minimum scholarship requirements.

Second, Siedliski and coaches said Bryant’s five-year transition phase in joining Division I’s Northeast Conference by 2012 could create more urgency to create a conference so various leagues can avoid conference realignments twice. Commissioners from the Eastern Colonial Athletic Conference (Georgetown, Rutgers, St. John’s), Great Western Lacrosse League (Notre Dame) and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (Providence) all acknowledged contingency planning in case a Big East conference forms, but declined specifics.

Third, Siedliski said CSTV and ESPN have expressed interest in televising Big East games. ESPN already broadcasts the Final Four, and ESPNU broadcasts select regular season games.

Desko’s consideration to support a Big East conference is significant, but many still expressed frustration that there are more hurdles to jump. But they all know any momentum would be negated without Syracuse’s support. And that support wouldn’t have happened if the Orange hadn’t missed the NCAA tournament last year.

‘We were 5-8, yet the teams who would be in the Big East, we played and beat,’ Desko said. ‘Who knows what would’ve happened with an AQ.’

mgmedin@syr.edu

Published on February 12, 2008 at 12:00 pm