This Gamecock team can play for a national title — if they find money for the trip
The Gamecocks are the best college men’s lacrosse team in the Southeast, but that might not be enough to get them to the national tournament.
The University of South Carolina’s team qualified to go to the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association National Tournaments in Salt Lake City, Utah, but the players are struggling to find the money to go, according to a GoFundMe page.
The team isn’t considered a varsity sport at USC, so the organization gets its money from membership dues, according to the page. Players pay about $2,000 to play each year. The university provides “very little funding,” when it comes to helping pay for travel or other expenses, according to the team’s website.
The Gamecocks planned their budget through the conference playoffs, which they won this month, but did not include money for a potential run at the national title, according to the page.
The lacrosse team is seeded No. 3 in the tournament and is in the running for a title against teams that include Minnesota, LSU, Georgia Tech and Michigan State.
“We are looking forward to the opportunity to compete for a national championship and to spend a fun week together as a group,” coach James Harkey said.
The team is looking for donations to cover the cost of plane tickets, hotels, bus travel and other expenses for 45 of its 46 players headed to the national tournament. So far, it has raised almost $3,900 of its $20,000 goal.
This is the second year in a row the team has qualified for the tournament, Harkey said. Last year, the team made it to the semifinals before losing.
In 1996, the team also qualified to play in a national tournament but could not afford to travel to the event, Harkey added.
The Gamecocks have been playing lacrosse at USC since 1973, playing now at the Bluff Road practice fields, the Strom Thurmond fields or the Greene Street fields. It’s one of several club sports offered at USC, joining the list with sports like diving, wrestling and hockey.
This story was originally published April 30, 2019 at 12:13 PM with the headline "This Gamecock team can play for a national title — if they find money for the trip."
