The Central Collegiate Lacrosse Association (CCLA) was a lacrosse-only athletic conference affiliated with the Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA). The CCLA incorporates teams in Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. On August 8, 2018, the conference commissioners of the Central Collegiate Lacrosse Association and the Pioneer Collegiate Lacrosse League announced they would merge the conferences to form the Continental Lacrosse Conference.
 | |
| Conference | Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1972 |
| Ceased | 2018 |
| Commissioner | Sean Buzzard |
| Sports fielded | |
| No. of teams | 10 |
| Region | Midwest and Great Lakes |
| Official website | http://mcla.us/CCLA/ |
History
editThe Central Collegiate Lacrosse Association was founded in 1972 as the Big Ten Lacrosse League. In 1999 the Big Ten Lacrosse League began accepting members outside of Big Ten schools. The CCLA is one of the original MCLA conferences and at one point included schools across the Midwestern United States. In 2002, schools from the southwestern portion of the conference left to form the Great Rivers Lacrosse Conference.[1] The current CCLA includes 10 teams split into two Divisions with the top programs and larger schools in Division I and smaller schools and programs in Division II.
Michigan won three straight MCLA DI Champions in 2008, 2009, and 2010 while the program was a member of the CCLA.[2] In 2011 the university announced a move to the NCAA Division I level, ending the Wolverines long run of consecutive CCLA conference championships at 11.[2]
At the Division II level the CCLA has been represented in the MCLA DII Championship in 2008 when Grand Valley State lost 17–10 to Westminster College[3] and in 2009 Dayton lost to the University of St. Thomas 11-16.[4] In the 2011 MCLA Division II Championship Davenport defeated St. Thomas 14-9.[5]
Division I
editSeven institutions make up the CCLA Division I. All of the CCLA DI members are members of NCAA Division I except Davenport University. Currently the CCLA DI league includes two teams from the Mid-American Conference, two teams from Big Ten Conference, one team from the Atlantic Coast Conference, one team from the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, and one team from the Horizon League.
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Undergraduates | Team Nickname | Primary conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Minnesota | Minneapolis, Minnesota | 1851 | Public | 29,000 | Golden Gophers | Big Ten (Division I) |
| Oakland University | Auburn Hills, Michigan | 1957 | Public | 17,000 | Golden Grizzlies | Horizon (Division I) |
Division II
editThere are three members of the CCLA Division II conference.
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Undergraduates | Team Nickname | Primary conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Dayton | Dayton, Ohio | 1850 | Private/Catholic | 8,000 | Flyers | Atlantic 10 (Division I) |
| Grand Valley State University | Allendale, Michigan | 1960 | Public | 22,000 | Lakers | GLIAC (Division II) |
| Grove City College | Grove City, Pennsylvania | 1876 | Private/Christian | 2,500 | Wolverines | Presidents' (Division III) |
Former Teams
editReferences
edit- ^ "About the CCLA". CCLA. Archived from the original on December 20, 2010. Retrieved July 31, 2010.
- ^ a b "Michigan adds men's and women's lacrosse". NCAA. May 27, 2011. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved May 31, 2011.
- ^ Staff (May 17, 2008). "Westminster College Men's Lacrosse Wins MCLA Championship". KSL-FM. Retrieved July 31, 2010.
- ^ "2009 CCLA Champions Earn National #1 Seed". University of Dayton. May 3, 2009. Archived from the original on October 20, 2009. Retrieved July 31, 2010.
- ^ Hanson, Tim (May 31, 2011). "Davenport Lacrosse Wins MCLA National Championship". MLive.com. Retrieved May 31, 2011.