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.
23-635: The Upper Midwest Lacrosse Conference (UMLC) is a men's college club lacrosse conference in the Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA). The UMLC includes teams in the midwest in two divisions - nine teams in Division I and six teams in Division II. The conference was established in 1992 when college teams in Minnesota that were playing a loose schedule of tournament weekends decided to organize into
46-667: A crowd of 17,779 was in attendance as the Rapids defeated the San Jose Earthquakes en route to their first-ever MLS Cup . The stadium is owned by Commerce City and operated by Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE) who also own the Colorado Avalanche , Denver Nuggets , and the Colorado Mammoth . The stadium has hosted several high-profile rugby games. In 2009, it hosted several matches of
69-576: A game played in blizzard conditions. Costa Rica filed a protest with FIFA due to field conditions when the United States won the game 1–0, but the protest was denied. The game has already been dubbed in football lore as "SnowClásico" for the conditions. The venue grounds hosted the Mile High Music Festival annually from 2008 to 2010. The first Mile High Music Festival had attendance of approximately 40,000 people each day over
92-695: A league that had a specific schedule and end of the season tournament. In 2000, the UMLC was accepted into the US Lacrosse Intercollegiate Associates , which became the MCLA in 2006. In 2003, it was announced that the conference would be split into two divisions for the 2004 season and onwards. The conference was known as the Upper Midwest Lacrosse League until 2011. UMLC Division II teams have dominated at
115-526: A national championship. 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) Dick%27s Sporting Goods Park Dick's Sporting Goods Park , also known as DSG Park , is a soccer-specific stadium located in Commerce City , Colorado , that
138-815: A two-time All American and Offensive Player of the Year, was drafted by the Denver Outlaws . In his debut for the Outlaws, he scored a hat-trick 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
161-544: Is home to the Colorado Rapids men's professional soccer team . The stadium seats up to 18,061 people for soccer matches, but can accommodate up to 19,734 for special soccer events and 27,000 for concerts. It became the third home venue for the Rapids upon its opening in 2007. Sitting at just over 5,200 feet (1,600 m) above sea level, the stadium has the highest elevation of any stadium regularly used by MLS teams. For their first eleven seasons,
184-586: The 2009 Churchill Cup , including the United States v. Georgia, Canada v. Argentina, and England v. Ireland. The Denver Barbarians of Rugby Super League have hosted occasional home matches at the stadium. In May 2009, the stadium hosted the Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association National Championships with the Michigan Wolverines defeating Chapman University 12–11 in overtime on the Division I side and University of St. Thomas beating
207-605: The University of Dayton 16–11 in Division II. The Denver Dream of the Lingerie Football League played their two home games at the stadium during their lone season. The stadium held the 2014 World Lacrosse Championship during July 10–19, 2014. On Friday, March 22, 2013, Dick's Sporting Goods Park was the site of the World Cup CONCACAF 2014 qualifying match between Costa Rica and USA,
230-856: The 2014 FIL World Lacrosse Championship with team Canada. The 2009-2011 MCLA Championships were held at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City , Colorado . 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 in Greenville , South Carolina . The 2014, MCLA National Championships were held in Southern California. The opening two rounds were played at UC Irvine in Orange County and
253-555: The MCLA National Championships, winning 9 of the last 11 title games. The University of St. Thomas, the 2019 champion, has won 6 titles since 2009. Men%27s Collegiate Lacrosse Association 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
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#1732802100516276-450: 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
299-479: 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. Colorado State University holds the record for most MCLA championships won with six (1999, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2012 and 2013). The Rams also hold
322-407: The Rapids played at Mile High Stadium (1996–2001) and Invesco Field at Mile High (2002–2006). In 2004, the club and city announced a $ 130 million project that would include youth soccer fields, retail development, and a new Commerce City civic center. The total cost of stadium construction was $ 64.5 million. Commerce City voters agreed to $ 65 million bond for infrastructure improvements to support
345-410: The course of two days. By utilizing the open soccer fields surrounding the stadium and additional stages throughout the complex, the complex's total capacity was able to greatly exceed what the stadium could hold alone. The rock band Phish established an annual three-night residency at the venue over Labor Day Weekend, starting in 2011 and returning each year since (with the exception of 2020, due to
368-409: 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
391-445: 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
414-537: 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 . In 2010, Connor Martin of Chapman University ,
437-577: 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. (called Division A through 2007) *Postseason play contained top 8 teams. Hosted as "MCLA Invitational" rather than as a national championship. (called Division B thru 2007) *Postseason play contained top 4 teams. Hosted as "Covid Cup Invitational" rather than as
460-596: The semifinals and finals at Chapman University in Orange, CA. Two first-time champions were crowned, Colorado (DI) and Grand Valley State (DII). The MCLA separates teams into divisions (I or II) based upon performance history, and regional conferences. 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
483-730: The sport of lacrosse continues to increase. As of the 2014 season, participation has increased to 210 teams. 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: The MCLA receives significant print coverage from US Lacrosse 's Lacrosse Magazine and Inside Lacrosse . Inside Lacrosse acquired
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#1732802100516506-606: The stadium. Construction began at the site, close to Denver's former Stapleton International Airport and bordered on the north and east by the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge ; to the south by 56th Avenue; and to the west by Quebec Street, in fall 2005. In November 2006, Dick's Sporting Goods signed a 20-year deal for naming rights. The stadium opened with an intrasquad scrimmage open only to Commerce City residents and season ticket holders. The first official match
529-559: Was played against D.C. United on April 7, 2007, with the Rapids winning, 2–1 in the regular season opening game . Herculez Gomez scored the first goal at the stadium. In the stadium's inaugural year, it hosted the 2007 MLS All-Star Game as the MLS All-Stars defeated Scotland's Celtic FC . The Rapids played their first playoff game at DSG Park on October 28, 2010; a 1–0 victory over the Columbus Crew . Two weeks later,
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