First let me start by saying I know more about Michigan lacrosse than you do unless you're a current or former member of the team. You don't know me, but my "fun" job of the last couple years has been as a freelance writer for Inside Lacrosse/ESPN/US Lacrosse/etc.
I've linked my articles/live blogs/etc. on here before if you want to go look. My primary responsibility was covering lax in the midwest. And I've gone so far as to having to correct your "experts" on MGoBlog numerous times on their posts. Because they're beyond ignorant. "Michigan isn't going to get recruits from Canada in the near future." LOL one of your best commits is a top Canadian talent. "There aren't even many good Canada players, there's only :
- " And they left off Mark-freaking-Matthews. Just makes you want to facepalm.
So yes, you're right Michigan would get killed. SO WHAT??? They're not going to make a run at tournament if you're already accepting that they'd get killed by Notre DAme. So why on earth does it matter at all if they get killed? Explain to me how you "build" a program by ducking tough games? While you're thinking, let me explain to you how teams whose athletic department isn't full of egotistical pussies who don't want to see a scoreboard that reads ND (a lot) MICH (a little) all built their programs by playing tough teams.
Long before Michigan decided to get a DI program there was a conference called the Great Western Lacrosse League. In it were ND, Denver, Ohio State, Air Force, Quinnipiac, and Bellarmine. Most of those schools, besides Notre Dame, are now in the ECAC and that all came about because of the Big East adding lacrosse.
Anyways... Notre Dame, Denver, Air Force, Ohio State, etc. all sucked at lacrosse. We weren't even fully funded and most of the GWLL teams still aren't. But rather than just play within our conference + play as many patsies as possible "build" our program... we did it the right way. We scheduled ACC opponents, Hopkins, Syracuse, Georgetown, etc. year in and year out. Usually we got slaughtered. Occasionally we would win. And by we I mean ALL of the schools. It wasn't just ND paying $$$ to travel all the way out to play UVa with UVa not making a return trip... even little 'ol Quinnipiac had the stones to do the same thing. Because that's how lacrosse works. There are no Boise States in lacrosse... you HAVE to beat the big boys to get any respect and have any chance of progressing.
None of these teams were worried about what it would look like adding another L to their record. Why? Because unlike football, in lacrosse Ws and Ls aren't the end all be all. The RPI and wins versus high RPI teams are what matter... which is why a 15-0 ND team once got a #7 seed and a 10-2 ND got a #4 seed last year. And why a 6-6 Johns Hopkins team made the playoffs 2 years ago as an at large.
So ideally you want to schedule as many Goliath's as possible because there is really nothing to lose by losing to a really good team, but there is soooooo much to gain. That's why you see all the perennial powers build schedules the way they do... and why you also see teams like Navy try DESPERATELY to schedule games against Syracuse, Hopkins, etc. because even though there is a 95% chance they lose and/or get slaughtered it is good for the program. The fact that ND would even try to schedule Michigan is a courtesy to them... low travel cost, opportunity to make their team better, and an opportunity for a quality win. Playing Michigan does nothing but hurt ND's strength of schedule which is HUGE for seeding. But Michigan doesn't get it. Because they don't get how lacrosse works. And/or they're pussies.
OOOOOO you have to play Denver IN Denver!?!? I mean seriously... Denver has been an average team at best for a very long time and only had a good run last season. Lots of teams have had a "run" and then gone back to being very average. Like Delaware. And UMASS. And so many others. To be fair, I've been there and that altitude change does numbers on you. It's a very hard place to play. Holy heck do you run out of breath quickly and if you're not deep at the midfield you're SCREWED. I also know that Denver was pretty good last year. But they weren't great. They're an above average team that's coached pretty well because Tierney is a disciplinarian and was underestimated by a very overrated Johns Hopkins team. The ironic part is that Tierney is doing it mostly with Munro's guys yet getting all the credit. But I digress.
But really... you're making my point for me. you already have to travel a bunch, why would you pass on a chance at a quality win (or at least a good learning opportunity) that is nearby and would save you money? No other lacrosse team in the NCAA would pass on that chance. Except Michigan... because they have an ego that they don't want to get hurt.
That ego is why they dropped ND football from the schedule for the first time. Why they dropped them the second time. And why they're ducking us now. See how it's all related? 
