Continental Lacrosse Conference
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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.
| Association | Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association |
|---|---|
| Sport | College Lacrosse |
| Founded | 2019 |
| President | Don Vince |
| Divisions | 3 |
| No. of teams | 19 |
| Most recent champions | Division 1: Northeastern Division 2: Rhode Island Division 3: Worcester Polytechnic Institute(2025) |
| Most titles | Division 1: Northeastern (3 Titles) Division 2: Rhode Island (6 Titles) Division 3: Worcester Polytechnic Institute (3 Titles) |
| Official website | https://mcla.us/conferences/clc |
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
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Team Nickname | Primary conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston College | Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts | 1863 | Private (Catholic) | 15,046 | Eagles | ACC (Division I) |
| University at Buffalo | Buffalo, New York | 1846 | Public | 32,332 | Bulls | MAC (Division I) |
| University of Connecticut | Storrs, Connecticut | 1881 | Public | 26,876 | Huskies | Big East (Division I) |
| University of New Hampshire | Durham, New Hampshire | 1809 | Public | 13,991 | Wildcats | AEC (Division I) |
| Northeastern University | Boston, Massachusetts | 1898 | Private (Nonsectarian) | 28,167 | Huskies | CAA (Division I) |
| University of Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | 1787 | Public | 35,528 | Panthers | ACC (Division I) |
| Syracuse University | Syracuse, New York | 1870 | Private (Nonsectarian) | 22,698 | Orange | ACC (Division I) |
| Temple University | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 1888 | Public | 30,005 | Owls | AAC (Division I) |
Division 2
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Team Nickname | Primary conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgewater State University | Bridgewater, Massachusetts | 1840 | Public | 9,942 | Bears | MASCAC (Division III) |
| Central Connecticut State University | New Britain, Connecticut | 1849 | Public | 9,653 | Blue Devils | NEC (Division I) |
| Columbia University | New York, New York | 1754 | Private (Nonsectarian) | 36,649 | Lions | Ivy (Division I) |
| University of Maine | Orono, Maine | 1865 | Public | 10,878 | Black Bears | AEC (Division I) |
| University of Rhode Island | Kingston, Rhode Island | 1892 | Public | 16,696 | Rams | A-10 (Division I) |
| Southern Connecticut State University | New Haven, Connecticut | 1893 | Public | 8,788 | Owls | NE-10 (Division II) |
| Stonehill College | Easton, Massachusetts | 1948 | Private (Catholic) | 2,479 | Skyhawks | NEC (Division I) |
| UMass-Dartmouth | Dartmouth, Massachusetts | 1895 | Public | 8,513 | Corsairs | LEC (Division III) |
Division 3
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Team Nickname | Primary conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fitchburg State University | Fitchburg, Massachusetts | 1894 | Public | 6,554 | Falcons | MASCAC (Division III) |
| Framingham State University | Framingham, Massachusetts | 1839 | Public | 4,495 | Rams | MASCAC (Division III) |
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Worcester, Massachusetts | 1865 | Private (Nonsectarian) | 7,230 | Engineers | NEWMAC (Division III) |
| Worcester State University | Worcester, Massachusetts | 1874 | Public | 6,434 | Lancers | MASCAC (Division III) |
Independent
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Team Nickname | Primary conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of New Haven | West Haven, Connecticut | 1920 | Private (Nonsectarian) | 7,513 | Chargers | NE-10 (Division II) |
Conference Championships
| Division 1 | Division 2 | Division 3 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Champion | Score | Runner-up | Location | Year | Champion | Score | Runner-up | Location | Year | Champion | Score | Runner-up | Location |
| 2019 | New Hampshire | 14-7 | Michigan State | Taunton, MA | 2019 | Rhode Island | 15-9 | Central Connecticut State | Bridgewater, MA | 2019 | No Division 3 Championship | |||
| 2020 | No Championship | 2020 | No Championship | 2020 | No Championship | |||||||||
| 2021 | No Championship | 2021 | No Championship | 2021 | No Championship | |||||||||
| 2022 | Boston College | 9-8 | Northeastern | Fitchburg, MA | 2022 | Rhode Island | 19-12 | Bridgewater State | Fitchburg, MA | 2022 | No Division 3 Championship | |||
| 2023 | Boston College | 13-9 | Northeastern | Fitchburg, MA | 2023 | Rhode Island | 17-4 | Maine | Fitchburg, MA | 2023 | Fitchburg State | 10-5 | Framingham State | Fitchburg, MA |
| 2024 | Northeastern | 13-8 | Boston College | Weymouth, MA | 2024 | Rhode Island | 17-6 | Bridgewater State | Weymouth, MA | 2024 | WPI | 10-7 | Framingham State | Weymouth, MA |
| 2025 | Northeastern | 10-8 | Boston College | Weymouth, MA | 2025 | Bridgewater State | 10-16 | Rhode Island | Weymouth, MA | 2025 | WPI | 11-5 | Framingham State | Weymouth, MA |
| 2026 | Northeastern | 9-8 | Boston College | Weymouth, MA | 2026 | Rhode Island | 17-4 | Bridgewater State | Weymouth, MA | 2026 | WPI | 1-0 | Worcester State | Weymouth, MA |
* Note: Bold text denotes MCLA National Champion
* Note: Italic text denotes MCLA National Champion runner-up
References
External links
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