The Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA) is a national organization of non-

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

men's

college lacrosse College lacrosse is played by student-athletes at colleges and university, universities in the United States and Canada. In both countries, men's field lacrosse and women's lacrosse are played at both the varsity and club levels. College lacrosse ...

programs. The MCLA oversees game play and conducts national championships for over 200 teams in ten conferences throughout the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. The MCLA provides a governing structure much like the NCAA, with eligibility rules, All-Americans and a national tournament to decide national champions in both Divisions I and II. The MCLA exists to provide a quality college lacrosse experience where varsity NCAA lacrosse does not exist. On an individual scale, the MCLA provides rules and a structure that promotes "virtual varsity" lacrosse, or an experience paralleling that of NCAA programs. While the MCLA provides a high level of athletic competition, it is one of the few governing bodies that does not have a national GPA requirement for its athletes. On a national scale, the MCLA provides the infrastructure to support a level playing field through eligibility rules and enforcement and the use of NCAA rules of play. The MCLA, an organization governing a mere 70 teams in 1997, has seen a rapid growth in affiliation as national interest in the sport of lacrosse continues to increase. As of the 2014 season, participation has increased to 210 teams.

History

The MCLA was formerly known as the US Lacrosse Men’s Division of Intercollegiate Associates (USL MDIA). The MCLA was created by the MDIA Board of Directors and its creation was announced by

US Lacrosse USA Lacrosse, a Recognized Sport Organization of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, is the governing body of men and women's lacrosse in the United States. It provides a leadership role in virtually every aspect of the game and has ...

on August 24, 2006. MCLA President John Paul was interviewed in a

podcast A podcast is a Radio program, program made available in digital format for download over the Internet. Typically, a podcast is an Episode, episodic series of digital audio Computer file, files that users can download to a personal device or str ...

on August 31, 2006. Information obtained from this interview includes: * MDIA council will cease to exist * MCLA will run its own national tournament and control its own budget * MCLA membership will still sit on

boards and committees * Team dues will be doubled from $500 to $1,000, the only significant impact to teams * By-Laws are being rewritten to be ratified in January 2007 * Two new Vice President positions have been formed in the MCLA Executive Board and some paid positions will be created * Long-term goals include a full-time paid League Executive Director who will answer to the Executive Board * Executive Boards of MCLA and conferences will be insured, as will the national tournament, however, players and teams are responsible for their own individual insurance

Media coverage

The MCLA receives significant print coverage from

's ''Lacrosse Magazine'' and

Inside Lacrosse Inside Lacrosse is a lacrosse media entity and ESPN affiliate. It includes many parts including a news website, an 11 times annual magazine, online video streaming, internet forums and an ESPN television show. The company is currently headquar ...

. Inside Lacrosse acquired the license agreement from The Lax Mag in 2012 and devoted further coverage with weekly web editorial and podcasts. In efforts to promote the sport, the MCLA has also made strides to make lacrosse games available to a larger audience. In partnership with The Lacrosse Network (TLN) select games are available to viewers with streaming live feed. In the 2012 National Championship, 26 games from the tournament were broadcast live, exclusively on the MCLA tournament website while the Division II Finals, Division I Semifinals and Division I Championship were televised nationally on Fox College Sports. Additional coverage is occasionally featured on ESPN, LaxPower.com, various blogs and other news websites.

Milestones

Colorado State University holds the record for most MCLA championships won with six (1999, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2012 and 2013). The Rams also hold the distinction of sending the first MCLA player into Major League Lacrosse when goaltender Alex Smith made the roster of Denver Outlaws from 2006-2010. Brigham Young (1997, 2000, 2007, 2011, 2021) is second in MCLA history with five national titles. The University of Michigan Varsity Club Lacrosse Team became the first team in MCLA history to complete a perfect season by defeating Chapman University in the national championship game on May 17, 2008. The Wolverines were able to repeat their success the following season by once again going undefeated and beating Chapman University in the national championship game on May 16, 2009. In 2008, Brekan Kohlitz of the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

became the first MCLA player drafted to the MLL by the

Washington Bayhawks The Chesapeake Bayhawks were a Major League Lacrosse (MLL) professional men's field lacrosse team based in Annapolis, Maryland. They played in the greater Baltimore metro area beginning with the MLL's inaugural 2001 season, as the Baltimore Bayhaw ...

. In 2010, Connor Martin of

Chapman University Chapman University is a private research university in Orange, California, United States. Encompassing eleven colleges, the university is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity". The school maintains its foundi ...

, a two-time All American and Offensive Player of the Year, was drafted by the

Denver Outlaws The Denver Outlaws are a professional field lacrosse team based in Denver, Colorado, that competes in the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL). Founded as the Chrome Lacrosse Club, they began play as one of the league's six inaugural teams in the ...

. In his debut for the Outlaws, he scored a

hat-trick A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three. Origin The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three Wick ...

and recorded an assist, earning him MLL Rookie of the Week. In 2014 Cam Holding became the second player ever to play in the MCLA to get drafted into the MLL by the Chesapeake Bayhawks. He currently plays for the Denver Outlaws and recently won a Gold medal in the 2014 FIL World Lacrosse Championship with team Canada. The 2009-2011 MCLA Championships were held at

Dick's Sporting Goods Park Dick's Sporting Goods Park, also known as DSG Park, is a soccer-specific stadium in Commerce City, Colorado, that is home to the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer (MLS). The stadium seats up to 18,061 people for soccer matches, but can acco ...

in Commerce City,

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

. In 2011, with the conclusion of the agreement between the MCLA and Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, the MCLA selected a new home for the National Championships. The 2012, 2013 MCLA Championships were relocated to a new venue;

Sirrine Stadium Sirrine Stadium is a stadium in Greenville, South Carolina, United States. It was used by Furman University's American football team from 1936 to 1980. The stadium opened on October 31, 1936, with a 1936 Furman Purple Hurricane football team, Fu ...

in Greenville,

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

. The 2014, MCLA National Championships were held in Southern California. The opening two rounds were played at UC Irvine in Orange County and the semifinals and finals at Chapman University in Orange, CA. Two first-time champions were crowned, Colorado (DI) and Grand Valley State (DII).

MCLA Conferences

The MCLA separates teams into divisions (I or II) based upon performance history, and regional conferences.

Current conferences

* Atlantic Lacrosse Conference (2021-present) * Continental Lacrosse Conference (2019-present) * Lone Star Alliance (1976-present) * Pacific Northwest Collegiate Lacrosse League (1997-present) * Rocky Mountain Lacrosse Conference (1976-present) * SouthEastern Lacrosse Conference (1988-present) * Southwestern Lacrosse Conference (2008-present) * Upper Midwest Lacrosse Conference (1992-present) * Western Collegiate Lacrosse League (1980-present)

Defunct conferences

* Central Collegiate Lacrosse Association (1972-2018) * Great Rivers Lacrosse Conference (2002-2017) * Pioneer Collegiate Lacrosse League (1986-2018)

National Championship

The National Championships are held in May, featuring 16 qualifying teams from each division in a single-elimination contest to decide the National Champions. Each of the nine conference champions of the regular season receives an automatic bid to the National Tournament. The remaining seven teams to qualify for the tournament are selected by an at large process by the MCLA tournament committee.

MCLA Division I Championship history

(called Division A through 2007) *Postseason play contained top 8 teams. Hosted as "MCLA Invitational" rather than as a national championship.

MCLA Division II Championship history

(called Division B thru 2007) *Postseason play contained top 4 teams. Hosted as "Covid Cup Invitational" rather than as a national championship.

List of MCLA Statistical Leaders

MCLA Division I All Time Career Points Leaders (230 Minimum) MCLA Division I All Time Career Goals Leaders (150 Minimum) MCLA Division II All Time Career Points Leaders (230 Minimum) MCLA Division II All Time Career Goals Leaders (150 Minimum)

Executive committee

* Ken Lovic (President) * Zach Bosh * Gary Podesta * Mike DeWan * Jason Stockton * Tony Scazzero * Mike Annala

References

External links

* {{MCLA Conferences College lacrosse leagues in the United States College sports governing bodies in the United States Lacrosse governing bodies of the United States Lacrosse governing bodies of Canada Sports organizations established in 2006 2006 establishments in the United States Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association