Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association
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| Sport | Lacrosse |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2006 |
| No. of teams | 213 |
| Country(ies) | United States, Canada |
| Most recent champion(s) | BYU |
| Official website | http://mcla.us |
The Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA) is a national organization of non-NCAA, men's college lacrosse programs. The MCLA oversees game play and conducts national championships for over 200 teams in ten conferences throughout the United States and Canada. 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, including at an increasing number of National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) schools. Because the NAIA does not sponsor lacrosse currently, many NAIA schools are using the MCLA as a means of organizing their varsity lacrosse programs. On an individual scale, the MCLA provides rules and a structure that promotes "virtual varsity" lacrosse. 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 has grown from 70 teams to over 200 from 1997-2006.
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[edit] 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 on August 24, 2006.
MCLA President John Paul was interviewed in a podcast 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 US Lacrosse 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
[edit] Media coverage
The MCLA receives significant print coverage from MCLA The Lax Mag, which is published by a private company, holds a license agreement with the MCLA[1] and is dedicated solely to the MCLA. National print coverage is also seen in US Lacrosse's Lacrosse Magazine and Inside Lacrosse. Online, CollegeLAX.us covers the MCLA with news, polls, and discussion forums. CollegeLAX.us covers solely the MCLA with additional discussion forums on NCAA and WDIA. Additional coverage is occasionally featured on ESPN, LaxPower.com, various blogs and other news websites as the league grows.
[edit] Milestones
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 became the first MCLA player drafted to the MLL by the Washington Bayhawks.[2]
The 2009 MCLA Championships was held at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado from May 12–16, 2009.[3]
[edit] MCLA Conferences
For a full list of teams, see List of MCLA teams.
- Central Collegiate Lacrosse Association
- Great Rivers Lacrosse Conference
- Lone Star Alliance
- Pacific Northwest Collegiate Lacrosse League
- Pioneer Collegiate Lacrosse League
- Rocky Mountain Lacrosse Conference
- SouthEastern Lacrosse Conference
- Southwestern Lacrosse Conference
- Upper Midwest Lacrosse League
- Western Collegiate Lacrosse League
[edit] MCLA Division I Championship History
(called Division A thru 2007)
[edit] MCLA Division II Championship History
(called Division B thru 2007)
| Year | Champion | Score | Defeated | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | San Diego | 9-6 | UVSC | Blaine, Minnesota |
| 2006 | San Diego | 10-3 | St. John's | Plano, Texas |
| 2007 | Montana | 15-5 | St. John's | Frisco, Texas |
| 2008 | Westminster College | 17-10 | Grand Valley State | Irving, Texas |
| 2009 | St. Thomas | 16-11 | Dayton | Denver, Colorado |
| 2010 | St. Thomas | 12-9 | Utah Valley | Denver, Colorado |
| 2011 | Davenport | 14-9 | St. Thomas | Denver, Colorado |
| Team | Championships | Winning years |
|---|---|---|
| San Diego | 2 | 2005, 2006 |
| St. Thomas | 2 | 2009, 2010 |
| Montana | 1 | 2007 |
| Westminster College | 1 | 2008 |
| Davenport University | 1 | 2011 |
[edit] Resources for Developing Teams
[edit] See also
- List of MCLA teams
- US Lacrosse
- US Lacrosse Intercollegiate Associates
- NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ "MCLA The Lax Mag FAQ". http://www.mclamag.com. Retrieved 2009-03-09.
- ^ "Brekan Kohlitz, Assistant Coach (1st Season)". http://www.umich.edu/~menslax/Coaches/Kohlitz.htm.
- ^ "MCLA National Tournament Moving to New Home". http://mcla.us/2009/02/mcla-national-tournament-moving-to-new-home/. Retrieved 2009-03-09.
- ^ How to Start a Collegiate Lacrosse Club, http://mcla.us/files/RMLC/club_start.pdf
[edit] External links
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