Rocky Mountain Lacrosse Conference

Last updated
Rocky Mountain Lacrosse Conference
Rocky Mountain Lacrosse Conference.png
ConferenceMCLA
Founded1976
CommissionerJohn Robinette
Sports fielded
No. of teams14
Headquarters Durango, Colorado
Region Mountain
Official website http://mcla.us/RMLC/

The Rocky Mountain Lacrosse Conference (RMLC) is one of ten conferences in the Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association. Currently the RMLC consists of 15 teams encompassing four Rocky Mountain states; Colorado, Utah, Montana, and Wyoming. It is divided into two divisions, Division I and Division II. Division II is separated further by region; Northwest and Southeast [1]

Contents

History

The RMLC, first known as the RMLA, was formed in 1976 with founding members Colorado State University, University of Colorado, Regis University, Air Force Academy, University of Denver, and Colorado School of Mines. In 1997, the Conference changed names to the Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Lacrosse League (RMILL) and went to a club-only league as a member of the US Lacrosse Intercollegiate Associates (USLIA), which reorganized into the Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA) in 2006.

The RMLC has been the home conference of the MCLA Division I National Champions in 1999, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2012 and 2013 (Colorado State University); [2] in 1997, 2000, 2007, 2011 (Brigham Young University); [3] and in 2014 (University of Colorado). In Division II, Westminster College were National Champions in 2008, [4] and the University of Utah won in 2022. [5]

In 2017, Utah announced that they were going to elevate their program to play as an NCAA Division 1 Independent, turning them from a club team to an NCAA team. [6] After the 2018 season, they left the conference. In 2019, the RMLC announced that the University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma would join the conference at the Division 1 level starting in the 2020 season. [7] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, their first game in the conference had to be pushed back to 2021. In 2021, it was revealed that Oklahoma would leave the conference to go back to the Lone Star Alliance. [8] With the news, Oklahoma would leave the conference without playing a single game in the conference.

A game between Montana State and Colorado-Denver in 2017 CU-Denver - MSU Lacrosse (cropped).jpg
A game between Montana State and Colorado-Denver in 2017

Teams

InstitutionLocationFoundedAffiliationEnrollmentTeam NicknamePrimary conference
Division I
Brigham Young University Provo, Utah 1875Private (LDS)34,802 Cougars West Coast (Division I)
University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, Colorado 1876Public37,956 Buffaloes Pac-12 (Division I)
Colorado State University Fort Collins, Colorado 1870Public32,777 Rams Mountain West (Division I)
University of Utah Salt Lake City, Utah 1850Public34,464 Utes Pac-12 (Division I)
Utah Valley University Orem, Utah 1941Public41,262 Wolverines Western (Division I)
Division II
United States Air Force Academy Colorado Springs, Colorado 1954Public4,181 Falcons Mountain West (Division I)
Colorado School of Mines Golden, Colorado 1873Public7,172 Orediggers Rocky Mountain (Division II)
University of Denver Denver, Colorado 1864Private14,130 Pioneers Big East (Division I)
Fort Lewis College Durango, Colorado 1911Public3,550 Skyhawks Rocky Mountain (Division II)
Metropolitan State University of Denver Denver, Colorado 1965Public17,678 Roadrunners Rocky Mountain (Division II)
Montana State University Bozeman, Montana 1893Public16,841 Bobcats Big Sky (Division I)
Southern Utah University Cedar City, Utah 1897Public13,611 Thunderbirds WAC (Division I)
Utah State University Logan, Utah 1888Public27,426 Aggies Mountain West (Division I)
Utah Tech University St. George, Utah 1911Public12,266 Trailblazers WAC (Division I)
University of Wyoming Laramie, Wyoming 1886Public11,479 Cowboys Mountain West (Division I)
Division III
University of New Mexico Albuquerque, New Mexico 1889Public21,738 Lobos Mountain West (Division I)
Western Colorado University Gunnison, Colorado 1901Public3,692 Mountaineers Rocky Mountain (Division II)

Former teams

InstitutionLocationNicknameEnrollmentNew Conference
Boise State University Boise, Idaho Broncos 25,540 PNCLL (MCLA)
Colorado College Colorado Springs, Colorado Tigers 2,012 SCAC (NCAA Division III)
Johnson & Wales University Denver, Colorado Wildcats1,291Defunct
Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, Arizona Lumberjacks 29,569 SLC (MCLA)
Regis University Denver, Colorado Rangers 8,368Defunct
University of Denver Denver, Colorado Pioneers 12,931 Big East (NCAA Division I)
University of Colorado Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, Colorado Mountain Lions 12,031Defunct
University of Colorado Denver Denver, Colorado Lynx24,267Defunct
University of Northern Colorado Greeley, Colorado Bears 12,084Defunct
University of Oklahoma Norman, Oklahoma Sooners 28,564 LSA (MCLA)
University of Texas at Austin Austin, Texas Longhorns 51,090 LSA (MCLA)
University of Utah Salt Lake City, Utah Utes 32,818 ASUN (NCAA Division I)
Weber State University Ogden, Utah Wildcats 26,681Defunct
Westminster College Salt Lake City, Utah Griffins 2,887 RMAC (NCAA Division II)

Conference Championships

Division I
YearChampionRunner-up
1991Air ForceColorado College
1992
1993ColoradoDenver
1994Colorado CollegeDenver
1995Colorado CollegeDenver
1996Colorado CollegeDenver
1997Brigham Young
1998Brigham YoungColorado State
1999Brigham YoungColorado State
2000Colorado StateColorado
2001Brigham YoungColorado State
2002Colorado StateBrigham Young
2003Colorado StateBrigham Young
2004Colorado StateColorado
2005Brigham YoungColorado State
2006Colorado StateColorado
2007Brigham YoungColorado State
2008Brigham YoungColorado State
2009Brigham YoungColorado
2010Colorado StateBrigham Young
2011Colorado StateBrigham Young
2012Colorado StateBrigham Young
2013Colorado StateColorado
2014ColoradoBrigham Young
2015ColoradoBrigham Young
2016Brigham YoungColorado
2017Brigham YoungColorado
2018UtahColorado
2019ColoradoUtah Valley
2020No Championship due to Covid-19 Pandemic
2021No Championship due to Covid-19 Pandemic
2022Brigham YoungColorado
2023Utah ValleyBrigham Young
2024Brigham YoungColorado State
Division I Championship Records
TeamChampionshipsChampionship YearsRunner-upsRunner-up Years
Brigham Young121997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2016, 2017, 2022, 202482002, 2003, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2023
Colorado State92000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2010, 2011, 2012, 201371998, 1999, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2024
Colorado41993, 2014, 2015, 201992000, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022
Colorado College31994, 1995, 199611991
Air Force11991
Utah12018
Utah Valley1202312019
Denver31994, 1995, 1996
Division II
YearChampionRunner-up
1999UtahColorado School of Mines
2000Utah ValleyNorthern Colorado
2001Utah ValleyBoise State
2002Boise StateUtah State
2003Utah ValleyFort Lewis
2004Fort LewisUtah Valley
2005Utah ValleyMontana State
2006Utah ValleyNorthern Colorado
2007WestminsterNorthern Colorado
2008WestminsterFort Lewis
2009Northern ColoradoWestminster
2010Utah ValleyWestminster
2011WestminsterNorthern Colorado
2012WestminsterFort Lewis
2013WestminsterFort Lewis
2014Montana StateNorthern Colorado
2015Utah StateFort Lewis
2016Montana StateMSU Denver
2017MSU DenverMontana State
2018Montana StateColorado Denver
2019Utah StateMontana State
2020No Championship due to Covid-19 Pandemic
2021No Championship due to Covid-19 Pandemic
2022UtahMontana State
2023Air ForceMontana State
2024Air ForceMontana State
Division II Championship Records
TeamChampionshipsChampionship YearsRunner-upsRunner-up Years
Utah Valley62000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006, 201012004
Westminster52007, 2008, 2011, 2012, 201322009, 2010
Montana State32014, 2016, 201852017, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024
Utah State22015, 201912002
Air Force22023, 2024
Boise State1200212001
Fort Lewis1200452003, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2015
Northern Colorado1200952000, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2014
MSU Denver1201712016
Utah12022
Colorado School of Mines11999

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference</span> Collegiate athletic conference in the western United States

The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC), commonly known as the Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC) from approximately 1910 through the late 1960s, is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level, which operates in the western United States. Most member schools are in Colorado, with additional members in Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Utah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colorado Buffaloes</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of University of Colorado

The Colorado Buffaloes are the athletic teams that represent the University of Colorado Boulder. The university sponsors 16 varsity sports teams. Both the men's and women's teams are called the Buffaloes or, rarely, the Golden Buffaloes. "Lady Buffs" referred to the women's teams beginning in the 1970s, but was officially dropped in 1993. The nickname was selected by the campus newspaper in a contest with a $5 prize in 1934 won by Andrew Dickson of Boulder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BYU Cougars</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of Brigham Young University

The BYU Cougars are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Brigham Young University (BYU), located in Provo, Utah. BYU fields 21 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) varsity athletic teams. They are a member of the Big 12 Conference for all sports except men's volleyball which is a member of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. They were a member of the West Coast Conference from 2011 to 2022. From 1999 to 2011 they were a member of the Mountain West Conference and before the formation of the MW, the Cougars competed in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the Mountain States Conference, and the Western Athletic Conference. BYU officially joined the Big 12 Conference on July 1, 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">College lacrosse</span> Lacrosse played by student athletes in North America

College lacrosse is played by student-athletes at colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. In both countries, men's field lacrosse and women's lacrosse are played at both the varsity and club levels. College lacrosse in Canada is sponsored by the Canadian University Field Lacrosse Association (CUFLA) and Maritime University Field Lacrosse League (MUFLL), while in the United States, varsity men's and women's lacrosse is governed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). There are also university lacrosse programs in the United Kingdom sponsored by British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) and programs in Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Valley State Lakers</span>

The Grand Valley State Lakers are the intercollegiate athletic teams of Grand Valley State University, located in Allendale, Michigan, United States. The GVSU Lakers compete at the NCAA Division II level and are members of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Collegiate Lacrosse League</span>

The Western Collegiate Lacrosse League (WCLL) is a conference that participates in the Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA). The WCLL operates in California, Nevada, and Oregon and is split into two divisions, Division I and Division II. The conference is governed by an executive board and the teams that win the conference's divisional playoffs receive automatic bids to the MCLA National Tournament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Upper Midwest Lacrosse Conference</span>

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 Pacific Northwest Collegiate Lacrosse League (PNCLL) is a conference in the Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association. The PNCLL is divided into two divisions, Division I and Division II, and incorporates teams from the U.S. States of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana, as well as from the Canadian Province of British Columbia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Utah Valley Wolverines</span> Athletic teams of Utah Valley University

The Utah Valley Wolverines represent Utah Valley University in NCAA DI collegiate athletics and sponsor 16 sporting programs. The Wolverines participate in the Western Athletic Conference. The school mascot is the Wolverine, and the colors are green and white. The UVU student section is called The Den. A name change from The Mawl, the student section's previous name, was enacted in 2017. All UVU students can get their Den pass, which includes free admission to all athletic events.

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.

The SouthEastern Lacrosse Conference (SELC) is a lacrosse-only athletic conference affiliated with the Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA). The SELC incorporates teams in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and is divided into two divisions, Division I and Division II. With 17 members, it is one of the largest of the MCLA's nine conferences. In 2021 several teams in the mid Atlantic region split off to create the Atlantic Lacrosse Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Davenport Panthers</span> Athletic teams that represent Davenport University

The Davenport Panthers are the athletic teams that represent Davenport University, located in Caledonia Township, Michigan, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the NCAA Division II level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) for most of its sports as a provisional member since the 2017–18 academic year. The Panthers previously competed in the Wolverine–Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 2005–06 to 2016–17.

The Southwestern Lacrosse Conference (SLC) is a lacrosse-only athletic conference affiliated with the Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA). The conference incorporates teams from California and Arizona and is divided into three divisions, Division I, Division II, and Division III.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association</span>

The Western Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (WILA) was a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II lacrosse-only college athletic conference composed of schools located in the Western United States. All schools are members of other conferences in other sports. WILA was formed at the beginning of the 2010–2011 academic year in order to name a champion, players of the week, and an all-league team at the end of the season. With no automatic qualifiers (AQ) currently in NCAA Division II men's lacrosse, conferences play a different role than in Division III.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michigan Wolverines men's lacrosse</span>

The Michigan Wolverines men's lacrosse team is the intercollegiate men's lacrosse program representing the University of Michigan. The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Prior to joining the NCAA, Michigan competed as a club-varsity program at the Division I level of the Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA) in the Central Collegiate Lacrosse Association (CCLA), where the Wolverines secured three MCLA national championships and won 11 consecutive conference titles. The team is coached by Kevin Conry.

The Continental Lacrosse Conference (CLC) is a conference in the Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA). The CLC incorporates teams in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island and is divided into two divisions, Division I and Division II.

The Atlantic Lacrosse Conference (ALC) is a lacrosse conference in the United States that participates in the Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA). The ALC operates in the U.S. states of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina and is split into two divisions, Division I and Division II. The conference is governed by an executive board and the team that wins the conference's divisional playoffs receive an automatic bid to the MCLA National Championship.

References

  1. "About the RMLC". MCLA. Retrieved June 27, 2017.
  2. "CSU Lacrosse". CSUlacrosse.com.
  3. "BYU Men's Lacrosse". lacrosse.byu.edu.
  4. Westminster Lacrosse website, http://www.westminstergriffins.com/index.aspx?path=mlax
  5. "Utah Rolls to Division II Title". Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
  6. "Utah adds Lacrosse as NCAA D1 Sport".
  7. "Oklahoma, Texas Heading to RMLC".
  8. "LSA adds Three New D-1 Programs".