Continental Lacrosse Conference

Last updated
Continental Lacrosse Conference
Association Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association
Sport College Lacrosse
Founded2019
PresidentDon Vince
Divisions3
No. of teams19
Most recent
champion(s)
Division 1: Northeastern

Division 2: Rhode Island

Division 3: Worcester Polytechnic Institute
(2025)
Most titlesDivision 1: Northeastern & Boston College (Tied at 2 Titles)

Division 2: Rhode Island (5 Titles)

Division 3: Worcester Polytechnic Institute (2 Titles)
Official website https://mcla.us/conferences/clc

The Continental Lacrosse Conference (CLC) is a men's collegiate club lacrosse conference that competes within the Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA), the national organization for non-NCAA collegiate lacrosse programs across the United States and Canada. The CLC was founded in 2018 following the reorganization and merger of the former Central Collegiate Lacrosse Association (CCLA) and Pioneer Collegiate Lacrosse League (PCLL), aiming to streamline operations and better serve programs primarily located in the Northeastern United States.

Contents

The CLC is structured into three divisions — Division I, Division II, and Division III — providing competitive opportunities for a wide range of collegiate programs. The conference features a mix of established and emerging lacrosse teams and regularly qualifies its champions for the annual MCLA National Championships.

Notable programs in Division I include Boston College, Northeastern University, and the University of New Hampshire, all of which have been nationally ranked and have made deep runs in the MCLA postseason. In Division II, the University of Rhode Island and Bridgewater State University have consistently been among the top programs, earning multiple national tournament appearances. The CLC also launched Division III competition to support developing programs, such as Fitchburg State University and Framingham State University, allowing them to compete at a level appropriate to their stage of development.

History

The Continental Lacrosse Conference (CLC) was established in 2018 through the merger of the Central Collegiate Lacrosse Association (CCLA) and the Pioneer Collegiate Lacrosse League (PCLL), aiming to streamline operations and better serve programs primarily located in the Northeastern United States.

In 2021, the University of Pittsburgh and Temple University departed the CLC to join the newly formed Atlantic Lacrosse Conference (ALC).

Conversely, Syracuse University joined the CLC's Division I ranks in 2025, bolstering the conference's profile. This addition enabled the CLC to secure automatic qualifying (AQ) bids for both its Division I and Division II champions to the MCLA National Championships.

Teams

Division 1

InstitutionLocationFoundedAffiliationEnrollmentTeam NicknamePrimary conference
Northeastern University Boston, Massachusetts 1898Private (Nonsectarian)28,167 Huskies CAA (Division I)
Boston College Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 1863 Private (Catholic)15,046 Eagles ACC (Division I)
University at Buffalo Buffalo, New York 1846Public32,332 Bulls MAC (Division I)
Syracuse University Syracuse, New York 1870Private (Nonsectarian)22,698 Orange ACC (Division I)
University of Connecticut Storrs, Connecticut 1881 Public 26,876 Huskies AAC (Division I)
University of New Hampshire Durham, New Hampshire 1809Public13,991 Wildcats AEC (Division I)

Division 2

InstitutionLocationFoundedAffiliationEnrollmentTeam NicknamePrimary conference
Bridgewater State University Bridgewater, Massachusetts 1840Public9,942 Bears MASCAC (Division III)
Central Connecticut State University New Britain, Connecticut 1849Public9,653 Blue Devils NEC (Division I)
University of Rhode Island Kingston, Rhode Island 1892Public16,696 Rams A-10 (Division I)
Southern Connecticut State University New Haven, Connecticut 1893Public8,788 Owls NE-10 (Division II)
Stonehill College Easton, Massachusetts 1948Private (Catholic)2,479 Skyhawks NE-10 (Division II)
University of Maine Orono, Maine 1865Public10,878 Black Bears AEC (Division I)
UMass-Dartmouth Dartmouth, Massachusetts 1895Public8,513 Corsairs LEC (Division III)

Division 3

InstitutionLocationFoundedAffiliationEnrollmentTeam NicknamePrimary conference
Framingham State University Framingham, Massachusetts 1839Public4,495 Rams MASCAC (Division III)
Westfield State University Westfield, Massachusetts 1838Public5,013 Owls MASCAC (Division III)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester, Massachusetts 1865Private (Nonsectarian)7,230 Engineers NEWMAC (Division III)
Fitchburg State University Fitchburg, Massachusetts 1894Public6,554 Falcons MASCAC (Division III)
Worcester State University Worcester, Massachusetts 1874Public6,434 Lancers MASCAC (Division III)

Independent

Columbia was accepted to the CLC Division 2 for the Fall 2025 Season

InstitutionLocationFoundedAffiliationEnrollmentTeam NicknamePrimary conference
Columbia University New York, New York 1754Private (Nonsectarian)36,649 Lions Ivy League (Division I)
University of New Haven West Haven, Connecticut 1920Private (Nonsectarian)7,513 Chargers NE-10 (Division II)

Conference Championships

Division 1Division 2Division 3
YearChampionScoreRunner-UpLocationYearChampionScoreRunner-UpLocationYearChampionScoreRunner-UpLocation
2019New Hampshire14-7Michigan StateTaunton, MA2019Rhode Island15-9Central Connecticut StateBridgewater, MA2019No Division 3 Championship
2020No Championship2020No Championship2020No Championship
2021No Championship2021No Championship2021No Championship
2022Boston College9-8NortheasternFitchburg, MA2022Rhode Island19-12Bridgewater StateFitchburg, MA2022No Division 3 Championship
2023Boston College13-9NortheasternFitchburg, MA2023Rhode Island17-4MaineFitchburg, MA2023Fitchburg State10-5Framingham StateFitchburg, MA
2024Northeastern13-8Boston CollegeWeymouth, MA2024Rhode Island17-6Bridgewater StateWeymouth, MA2024WPI10-7Framingham StateWeymouth, MA
2025Northeastern10-8Boston CollegeWeymouth, MA2025Bridgewater State10-16Rhode IslandWeymouth, MA2025WPI11-5Framingham StateWeymouth, MA

* Note: Bold text denotes MCLA National Champion

* Note: Italic text denotes MCLA National Champion runner-up

References