LAST UPDATED 12/26/09

What is the MCLA? What happened to the MDIA or USLIA?
What is US Lacrosse?
What is CollegeLAX?
How can my company or business sponsor the CollegeLAX web site?
How can I submit an article or photos to the web site? How can I help the CollegeLAX web site?
Are all college club teams in the MCLA?
What about the women's collegiate club teams?
What is the difference between MCLA teams and other collegiate club teams?
What is the difference between MCLA teams and varsity (NCAA) teams?
Are there advantages to playing MCLA lacrosse vs. varsity (NCAA) lacrosse?
My college club team is not in the MCLA now. How do we get in?
Do you have any tips or suggestions to help my new club, on and off the field?
What are the costs associated with joining the MCLA?
Why are there no club teams from schools with varsity programs in the MCLA?
What are the current MCLA conferences? What are the benefits of joining a conference?
What is Division 2? What happened to Division B?
How are the teams determined for the MCLA National Championship Tournament?
When and where is the MCLA National Championship Tournament held? What is the tournament schedule?
Which teams have won MCLA National Championships previously?
How are the MCLA national rankings determined?
Who determines the MCLA All-American Squad? When is the team announced?
What are the eligibility rules for MCLA players?
How are the rules monitored? Where can I ask an eligibility question?
How can I get a copy of the MCLA Constitution and Bylaws?
Do you expect many MCLA teams to go varsity soon?
My question still isn't answered!

What is the MCLA? What happened to the MDIA or USLIA? Can you tell me about the history of the Associates? Top

The MCLA stands for the Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association. This new national organization of men's collegiate club teams was formed in the Fall of 2006 to provide more direct attention to collegiate club lacrosse and it replaces the old USL MDIA.

The new MCLA logo was designed by Jason Smith, a midfielder at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Savannah, Georgia. SCAD competes in Division B of the SouthEastern Lacrosse Conference.

The MCLA provides a governing structure much like the NCAA, with eligibility rules, national polls, All-Americans and a national tournament to decide national champions in both the A and B Divisions. Nine MCLA conferences are spread across the country, from coast to coast.

The old "USLIA" term stood for the US Lacrosse Intercollegiate Associates. A brief history of the Associates is in order.

Bob Korba, Commissioner of the Lone Star Alliance and Head Coach at the University of Texas, had first organized the Creole Bowl in New Orleans in 1994. The Creole Bowl matched the champions of the Lone Star Alliance and the SouthEastern Lacrosse Conference in the Big Easy for one post-season, neutral site championship event.

The success of the event promoted further discussion on the national scene involving a potential true national championship for collegiate club lacrosse nationwide. The Western Collegiate Lacrosse League, founded in 1978, had promoted college lacrosse for many years on the West Coast. And the SouthEastern Lacrosse Conference, Southwest Lacrosse Association, Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Lacrosse League, Pacific NW Collegiate Lacrosse League, and Big Ten Lacrosse Conference had all existed on one level or another since the mid 80's.

Sam Sadtler (Pacific Northwest Collegiate Lacrosse League and Liaison with the USILA), Mickey-Miles Felton (President, Western Collegiate Lacrosse League and long-time Head Coach at Arizona), Jason Lamb (Head Coach at BYU), Sonny Pieper (Long-time President of the SouthEastern Lacrosse Conference), and Brian Mosher (Long-time Head Coach of the Univ. of Illinois and Former President of the Big Ten Lacrosse League) were involved in early discussions with the USILA to give more support and recognition to the Associates. At the time, the Associates (collegiate club programs) were under the auspices of the USILA (United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association), the governing body for college men's varsity lacrosse. Despite the affiliation with varsity lacrosse, the Associates were governed by its own Board of Directors and left to its own devices to organize and structure a national club league.

Despite the fact that there was virtually no intra-conference competition across the country at the time, aggressive plans were laid for the first ever USILA National Championships in St. Louis in May of 1997. All six of the participating leagues agreed to certain minimum eligibility standards and agreed to send their conference champions to the inaugural National Championship tournament. The six leagues would maintain their own organizations, identities, records, and structures. A constitution and bylaws were drafted and ratified.

Eight teams made it to "the Lou" that year (Arizona, Virginia Tech, Simon Fraser, Illinois, Auburn, Texas, BYU, and California-Santa Barbara) for the first ever National Championship Tournament.  The BYU Cougars beat the UCSB Gauchos by four goals on a Monday morning in front of about 50 people for the first ever IA National Title on the hardened turf at the Anheuser Busch Sports Center.

At the time, the USILA offered limited financial and administrative support for the Associates to organize the first two national championship tournaments. But the expansion wheels were spinning hard and fast. The success of the tournament and the new Top 25 poll spurred more growth for the Associates. Cal beat BYU in a classic overtime contest to earn the 2nd ever USILA National Championship in May of 1998.

In 1999, the Associates voted to drop out of the USILA and join US Lacrosse, then the newly formed national governing body for lacrosse in the US. Thus, the USILA Associates became the MDIA as they merged into a division of the Men's Division of US Lacrosse. Although the MDIA Board still governed the league, US Lacrosse took on a more active role in administration and planning/conducting the end of year national championship tournament.

The national championship tournament expanded to 12 teams in 1999 and quickly to 16 teams in 2000. Two previously independent college club leagues, The Upper Midwest Lacrosse League (Minnesota/Iowa) and the Pioneer League (New England), joined up for the Spring 2000 season to give the Associates a total of 8 conferences nationwide. The number of IA teams had doubled by year four and the Associates had quickly developed into the only "coast to coast" lacrosse league in the country.

Prior to the 2002 season, the Central Collegiate Lacrosse Association (CCLA) split in half forming a brand new conference called the Great Rivers Lacrosse Conference (GRLC). The GRLC became the 9th conference playing under the USL MDIA banner nationwide.

In the Summer of 2006, the MDIA Board of Directors voted to form a new organization called the Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA), separate from US Lacrosse.  The new organization was formed in order to better serve collegiate club lacrosse.

US Lacrosse was a valuable partner to the old MDIA for many years, however both the MCLA Board of Directors and US Lacrosse felt that the MCLA would be better served on its own.  The MCLA will still maintain some representation on US Lacrosse boards, committees, and councils.  However, the MCLA will conduct its own national tournament and oversee it's own budget.

The MCLA continues to grow each season. Over 215 teams are expected to compete under the MCLA banner for the 2010 spring season in ten different conferences nationwide. Further growth is expected in the future as the sport of lacrosse continues its rapid expansion at the high school and youth levels. With limited growth of NCAA Men's Lacrosse, many players continue to gravitate toward collegiate club lacrosse around the nation.

What is US Lacrosse? Top

US Lacrosse (USL) was founded on January 1, 1998 as the national governing body for both men's and women's lacrosse. The mission of US Lacrosse is to foster men's and women's lacrosse as amateur sports through a single organization that consolidates the various lacrosse constituencies engaged in the sport; improve the quality of service provided to each constituency within the sport; provide activities through the various constituencies that will promote lacrosse nationwide; and ensure that all decisions concerning the sport are made on a fiscally sound basis.

What is CollegeLAX? Top

www.CollegeLAX.us is a private lacrosse web site that exists to promote and primarily cover the MCLA, affectionally called the largest lacrosse league in the world. The site previously existed as USLIA.com and it has existed in one form or another since the spring of 1998.

CollegeLAX continues to offers timely information including MCLA scores, Top 25 polls, statistics, schedules, team press releases, selected game photographs, and active message forums. Thousands of players, coaches, parents, alumni, and fans from across the country visit the CollegeLAX web site each week.

If you would like to support the CollegeLAX web site, consider making a purchase of some new CollegeLAX gear from the CollegeLAX shop.

If you would like to display the latest CollegeLAX News Headlines on your site, check the CollegeLAX RSS page for additional information.

How can my company or business sponsor the CollegeLAX web site? Top

The CollegeLAX web site offers a unique opportunity to advertise to the 200+ MCLA teams across the country (coast to coast). Several economical sponsorship options exist. Individuals and business are encouraged to visit the Advertising page for additional information:
http://www.collegelax.us/advertise.php

The new CollegeLAX site continues to grow and evolve every year. CollegeLAX web traffic during the 2007 season almost tripled (compared to Spring, 2005). During each spring lacrosse season, CollegeLAX currently averages over 40000 unique visitors per month and moves between 1 and 3 gigabytes of bandwidth each day! The CollegeLAX web site remains one of the most visited lacrosse sites on the web.

How can I submit an article or photos to the web site? I'm a talented writer, photographer, graphic designer, database guru, etc. -- How can I help the CollegeLAX web site? Top

Contact CollegeLAX:
http://www.collegelax.us/contact.php

CollegeLAX is ALWAYS looking for talented people to help the site! The site relies on voluntary submissions, but there are requirements that must be met in order for a news item to appear on the web site.

Are all college club teams in the MCLA? Top

No. There are an estimated 500 college club teams in the nation (to complement the almost 250 men's varsity teams). Approximately 215 of those club teams will compete at the MCLA level for the 2010 spring season. Another approximately 75 teams belong to the National Collegiate Lacrosse League (NCLL), and the rest are independent - having no national affiliation. Currently, college club teams from campuses that have varsity men's lacrosse cannot join the MCLA. (More on that later.)

The MCLA is growing every year. Since its inception in 1997, it has grown from 80 teams in 6 conferences to over 215 teams in 10 conferences and 2 divisions. Here is a link to the current list of MCLA teams:
http://www.collegelax.us/teams.php

What about the women's collegiate club teams? Top

Following the early success of the old MDIA in the late 90's, the US Lacrosse Women's Division Intercollegiate Associates (USL WDIA) was initially formed in 2000. The WDIA has grown to include over 150 women's college club teams across the country in various conferences. For more information on the WDIA, visit the WDIA web site at:
http://www.uslacrosse.org/wdia/index.phtml

What is the difference between MCLA teams and other collegiate club teams? Top

On the surface, there is not necessarily much difference. Virtually every club team (MCLA, NCLL, or Independent) in the country is self-funded, which is the major distinction between club and varsity athletics. There are other distinctions between club and varsity athletics that we'll get into later, but finances are the one constant.

There are two main things that differentiate MCLA teams from all other college club lacrosse:

1. Organization: The MCLA was established to provide a level playing field for what has always been a complex college club scene. This means following NCAA rules for play, student-athlete eligibility requirements, accountability for scheduling and finances, and strict record keeping. For many club teams, these requirements are a big jump from the inconsistency in organization they are used to.

Here is a link to the 2009-2010 NCAA Men's Lacrosse Rulebook (PDF format):
LINK

2. Accountability: MCLA teams are held to the same high standards of accountability as varsity teams when it comes to eligibility, administration (getting paperwork in on time), finances and scheduling (if you schedule a game, you must play it). This leads to an even experience no matter the talent level of team you are playing. If you play a MCLA team, you can count on things like matching uniforms, regulation fields, accredited officials, and score keeping, and timekeeping staff.

What is the difference between MCLA teams and varsity (NCAA) teams? Top

Most MCLA teams are striving for a balance between a varsity experience and a traditional club lacrosse experience. The term "virtual varsity" has been used to describe this mix, although that term shouldn't be used loosely. The only real differences between club and varsity lacrosse are official recognition as a varsity team by that school's athletic department, which qualifies the team for NCAA competition, and the restrictions the NCAA has placed on the varsity recruiting process. Beyond that, the line becomes (very) fuzzy.

Varsity teams run the range from fully funded, big-time programs like Johns Hopkins, Duke, Virginia, Maryland, and Syracuse that offer the maximum allotment of 12.6 scholarships, well-paid full-time coaches, and the support of a big-time athletic complex, to programs with part-time coaches, limited budgets, no scholarships and limited support. Some varsity teams even charge player dues or have the players fund raise to help offset costs, much like club teams.

MCLA teams also vary dramatically. At the top end, top MCLA program raise 6-figure annual budgets, have full-time coaches, travel throughout the country to play a national schedule, and recruit outstanding student-athletes. On the surface, many of those programs look just like varsity teams. At the other end of the spectrum, many, if not most MCLA teams are coached by part-time volunteers, have small annual budgets, play regional (conference) competition and spend more time teaching the game to new players than refining a team of players who have been at it since their youth. The one constant: all club teams charge player dues that can range from $100/year to $4,000/year to help offset costs. (Many teams are in the $100 - $500 range.)

The major difference between MCLA lacrosse and varsity lacrosse is the focus of the program. MCLA lacrosse allows the student-athlete to put academics first. This is not always the case with varsity lacrosse. Many MCLA athletes had opportunities to play varsity lacrosse, but chose to play at the MCLA level in order to have the opportunity to excel at a demanding major like engineering or business, or to attend and play for a big-name school, or to have a life outside of lacrosse. This is not to say that those things cannot be accomplished at a varsity program, but for many the sacrifices that have to be made and the other parts of college that must be given up are too much.

Are there advantages to playing MCLA lacrosse vs. varsity (NCAA) lacrosse? Top

It depends on what you are looking for. MCLA teams don't recruit blue-chip players away from top varsity programs like Johns Hopkins and Princeton because most of those players are looking to compete at the very highest levels of the sport. That is their priority. Many of those players also excel academically, but for most it's a realistic second to lacrosse.

While the level of play in the MCLA improves every year, the top teams won't be competing with the top DI, DII, or DIII varsity programs any time soon. Varsity lacrosse often (but not always) has the advantage of increased support from the school that eliminates the need for dues and fundraising, a higher level of commitment, assistance in admissions and financial aid or scholarships.

MCLA lacrosse offers a nice middle-ground. The game looks and feels like varsity lacrosse. The competition is good, and the media attention is growing. Benefits like a bona fide national championship event, national Top 25 polls, All-American and Academic All-American awards and conference and national tournaments keep the excitement level high. The fact that the league is truly national, with coast-to-coast competition, is truly unique. The opportunity to attend and play for big-name schools cannot be discounted. At the same time, as mentioned earlier, the commitment is slightly more relaxed in most cases. Academics can always come first, and the student-athlete can focus more on his future after college.

In the end, lacrosse players who have options to play varsity or club lacrosse have to take in the whole picture and decide what is best for them. If the decision is made in the right way, either path can be a wonderful opportunity.

My college club team is not in the MCLA now. How do we get in? Top

The MCLA has grown so quickly over the last 12 years because of a "build it and they will come" strategy. Some individual conferences may recruit new teams, but the MCLA generally does not.

College club teams that wish to join the MCLA must be accepted by one of the current ten MCLA conference for membership. Because each conference has their own admission process, we suggest you contact the conference director in your area for more information on how and when to apply. Links to the various MCLA conferences appear below.

Do you have any tips or suggestions to help my new club, on and off the field? Top

Check out this new Start-Up guide that offers tons of suggestions to start (or improve) your club. The file linked below is in PDF format:
http://www.collegelax.us/files/StartUpManual.pdf

Special thanks to Dave Leach of the RMLC for putting together this document!

What are the costs associated with joining the MCLA? Top

For the 2010 season, annual MCLA dues are $2000 per individual team. MCLA Conferences also charge their member teams conference dues, which vary according to conference.

MCLA dues cover the increased cost associated with running a better organization and a better national championship tournament. There are also several startup costs such as incorporation expenses and legal fees associated with a new organization that must be considered. The MCLA budget is made available to the MCLA Board of Directors at annual MCLA Board Meetings.

Other costs that might factor in if your club team is new to this level include: providing matching uniforms (including helmets and gloves as per NCAA specs) and standardized officials fees.

Many teams see the enormous budgets of the some of the top MCLA programs that pay coaches and travel around the country and assume that the entire MCLA is the same. In fact, many MCLA teams operate on small budget and keep their dues quite low. Most are striving to find new revenue sources and to expand their programs, but all club teams face similar financial challenges. The league's phenomenal growth has occurred in part because most any club team can afford to join without making many changes to how they raise money.

Why are there no club teams from schools with varsity programs in the MCLA? Top

The MCLA has decided to hold off on admitting club teams from varsity schools upon the request of the Varsity Coaches Council and US Lacrosse. There is a concern among some varsity coaches that MCLA lacrosse could influence the loss of more varsity programs as athletic directors see the success of "virtual varsity" club teams on their campuses at minimal cost to the school. The MCLA has received applications from club programs on varsity campuses, but so far the Board has honored the Varsity Coaches Council request.

What are the current MCLA conferences? What are the benefits of joining a conference?

There are currently 10 MCLA conferences across the country:

1. Central Collegiate Lacrosse Association (CCLA)
Teams in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Western New York.
WEB SITE: http://www.cclax.org/

2. Great Rivers Lacrosse Conference (GRLC)
Teams in Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, Arkansas, Wisconsin.
WEB SITE: http://www.grlc.org/

3. Lone Star Alliance (LSA)
Teams in Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana.
WEB SITE: http://www.lonestaralliance.org/

4. Pacific Northwest Collegiate Lacrosse League (PNCLL)
Teams in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and British Columbia, Canada.
WEB SITE: http://www.pncll.com/

5. Pioneer Collegiate Lacrosse League (PCLL)
Teams in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, and Maine.
WEB SITE: http://www.pioneerlacrosse.com/

6. Rocky Mountain Lacrosse Conference (RMLC)
Teams in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Wyoming, and Northern Arizona.
WEB SITE: http://www.rmlax.com/

7. SouthEastern Lacrosse Conference (SELC)
Teams in Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Alabama, and Mississippi.
WEB SITE: http://www.selc.org/

8. Southwestern Lacrosse Conference (SLC)
Teams in Southern California, Arizona, and Southern Nevada.
WEB SITE: http://www.slc-lax.org/

9. Upper Midwest Lacrosse League (UMLL)
Teams in Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and North Dakota.
WEB SITE: http://www.umll.org/

10. Western Collegiate Lacrosse League (WCLL)
Teams in Northern California and Northern Nevada.
WEB SITE: http://www.wcll.com/

The benefits of joining one of the 10 MCLA member conferences include the ability to play for a conference championship, structured scheduling for regional games, a conference assignor for officials, and an automatic bid to the MCLA National Championship Tournament for each conference champion. In addition, all conferences have a Division 2 level for smaller programs to compete for regional and national honors. This allows all teams, big and small, to compete for some kind of title each year.

What is Division 2? What happened to Division B? Top

A second national level of MCLA play was developed for the 2005 Spring season when the first ever MCLA Division 2 National Championship Tournament was held in conjunction with the MCLA Division 1 Championship. Previous to that season, conferences from around the country had been left on their own to sanction lower levels of conference competition. Although all teams were considered equal from a national (MCLA) standpoint, conferences used various criteria (competitive level or school size) to separate teams into the two divisions at the conference level.  But there was no single national criteria.

After much discussion, the MCLA Board of Directors decided to sanction the new Division 2 level of play based on NCAA 1-A Football Status. This arbitrary criteria used for Division 2 kept most MCLA teams playing at the same level within their own respective conference and avoided pushing teams up to a higher competitive level that they might not be ready for.

In the Summer of 2007, the MCLA Board of Directors decided to change the Division B naming scheme to Division 2 (The board also changed the name of Division A to Division 1). MCLA Division 2 teams have their own separate Top 25 polls, All-American Teams, and awards, just like Division 1 teams nationwide.

The MCLA Board of Directors also came to a consensus that Division 2 is not a developmental league. It is a standalone division of the MCLA for smaller schools. The criteria for Division 2 teams is being re-evaulated by the MCLA Board of Directors and a new proposal is expected soon.

How are the teams determined for the MCLA National Championship Tournament? Top

For the 2010 season, the MCLA National Championship Tournament will offer bids to 16 Division 1 teams and for the first time, 16 Division 2 teams. Typically, ten conference champions (one for each division) receive an automatic bid to the tournament. These conference champions are determined by conference tournaments, held in late April or early May.

Note: Due to penalties enacted on teams and conferences by the MCLA Board of Directors, some programs may not be eligible to receive a berth in the National Championship Tournament. Additionally, some conferences may not receive an automatic bid for their conference champion due small conference size.

Immediately after the conclusion of the various conference tournaments, the MCLA National Championship Committee will announce the two tournament fields and the tournament seedings. The final tournament annoucement is expected on Sunday evening, May 2nd.

When and where is the MCLA National Championship Tournament held? What is the tournament schedule? Top

The 14th annual MCLA National Championship tournament will take place at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado (just outside of Denver). The dates are Tuesday, May 11th through Saturday, May 15th.

Both Division 1 and Division 2 play will begin on Tuesday, May 11th with first round contests. The winning teams will advance to the quartefinals on Wednesday, May 12th. Thursday will be a day off except for some early consolation bracket games as the 8 semifinalist teams (4 in Div. 1 and 4 in Div. 2) will enjoy the off day. The semifinals resume on Friday in the main stadium at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. The two MCLA National Championships will take place on Saturday afternoon/evening - May 15th.

Previous sites for the MCLA tournament:
2009: Dick's Sporting Goods Park (Commerce City, Colorado)
2008: Ross Stewart Soccer Complex (Farmers Branch, Texas) and Texas Stadium (Irving, Texas)
2007: Pizza Hut Park (Frisco, Texas)
2006: Russell Creek Park (Plano, Texas) and Kimbrough Stadium (Richardson, Texas)
2005: National Sports Center (Blaine, Minnesota outside Minneapolis)
2004 - 1997: Anheuser Busch Conference and Sports Center (Fenton, Missouri outside St. Louis)

Which teams have won MCLA National Championships previously? Top

MCLA Division 1 Championship History
2009 (Denver, Colorado) - Michigan 12, Chapman 11
2008 (Dallas, Texas) - Michigan 14, Chapman 11
2007 (Dallas, Texas) - Brigham Young 16, Oregon 9
2006 (Dallas, Texas) - Colorado State 8, Colorado 7
2005 (Minneapolis, Minnesota) - UCSB 8, Sonoma State 7
2004 (St. Louis, Missouri) - UCSB 8, Colorado State 7
2003 (St. Louis, Missouri) - Colorado State 6, UCSB 4
2002 (St. Louis, Missouri) - Sonoma State 13, Colorado State 10
2001 (St. Louis, Missouri) - Colorado State 16, Stanford 7
2000 (St. Louis, Missouri) - Brigham Young 17, Colorado State 13
1999 (St. Louis, Missouri) - Colorado State 15, Simon Fraser 11
1998 (St. Louis, Missouri) - California 16, Brigham Young 15 (OT)
1997 (St. Louis, Missouri) - Brigham Young 15, UCSB 11

MCLA Division 2 Championship History
2009 (Denver, Colorado) - St. Thomas 16, Dayton 11
2008 (Dallas, Texas) - Westminster College 17, Grand Valley State 10
2007 (Dallas, Texas) - Montana 15, St. John's (MN) 5
2006 (Dallas, Texas) - San Diego 10, St. John's (MN) 3
2005 (Minneapolis, Minnesota) - San Diego 9, Utah Valley State 6

How are the MCLA national rankings determined? Top

The MCLA Division 1 and Division 2 Top 25 Polls are administered and conducted by CollegeLAX. Voters are selected from current MCLA Coaches, MCLA Conference Directors, and Media Members. Poll voter nominations are solicited prior to the start of the season by CollegeLAX for the poll. For more information on the poll or to view a list of current voters, check out the Poll information page.

The MCLA Top 25 Poll is typically released once in the preseason, then every other week during the season, starting in late February. The MCLA Top 25 poll is currently sponsored by the Prodigy Network.

Who determines the MCLA All-America Squad? When is the team announced? Top

The MCLA Board of Directors conducts the All-America selection process each spring. Contact MCLA Secretary Michael Martin directly with any questions about the All-America Voting or the process.

The All-America teams are normally following the end of year MCLA National Championship Tournament in late May or early June.

What are the eligibility rules for MCLA players? Top

MCLA eligibility rules are based on simplified NCAA eligibility rules. For a player to be eligible for MCLA competition, he must::
1. ... have played no more than four years of college lacrosse. A year of college lacrosse is defined by playing for, or appearing on the roster for, any college team (MCLA, varsity, NCLL, or independent club) during the spring season.
2. ... be a full-time (defined as at least 12 credit hours in that term) student at the MCLA institution he is playing for.
3. ... be defined as a student "in good standing" by his academic institution. This definition varies from school to school.
4. ... appear on the official roster form for his MCLA team.
5. ... not have played professional lacrosse.

Check the MCLA Operating Procedures for specific Eligibility Rules for MCLA play.

How are the rules monitored? Where can I ask an eligibility question? Top

Eligibility rules and other rules and regulations are monitored by the individual MCLA conferences. If you have a question, please contact your MCLA conference director first.

If there is a dispute that the conference can't solve, it goes to the MCLA Executive Board for a final decision. There is an appeals process for every ruling if necessary.

How can I get a copy of the MCLA Bylaws? Top

The new MCLA Bylaws and the MCLA Operating Policy were recently rewritten and approved. Please contact your MCLA Conference Director with any further questions on these documents or if you require additional information.

Do you expect many MCLA teams to go varsity soon? Top

Yes and No. A handful of smaller schools (think Division 3 and smaller or new Division 1 programs) are adding varsity men's teams. However, the current financial situation for major college programs in the BCS Football Conferences make it very difficult for men's teams in any sport to be formed at the varsity level.

Over the last 5-10 years, women's varsity lacrosse has grown quickly - both at the Division 1 and Division 3 level. Women's varsity teams are being added because the sport is relatively cheap to add and it helps schools become more compliant with Title IX. New women's D1 programs have been recently started at major NCAA schools like Oregon, Navy, and Florida.

Some Division 3 men's teams are being added because it’s cheaper to add lacrosse as a varsity sport, it helps increase enrollment, and some schools can actually make money from increased tuition dollars. Growth at the major Division 1 (men's) level continues to be very, very slow in today's major college athletics enviornment.

The success of the MCLA is increasing the likelihood of future varsity growth because the MCLA level of the game is increasing the awareness of the sport and presenting it in a good light across the nation. Big crowds, legitimate student-athletes, television and media recognition, community involvement through service and camps, donors, etc. – all things that MCLA teams bringing to the table are things that schools will notice now and in the future.

It is also important to remember that at the bigger schools that are so prevalent in the MCLA, club teams are usually not "elevated" to varsity status. A varsity team may get added some day, but the club team would, in all likelihood, remain to serve most of the same student-athletes who were on it in the first place.

If you have any other questions you would like answered, please use the CollegeLAX Message Board available below: Top

http://www.collegelax.us/forums/