Sep. 22nd, 2003 - CCLA Adds Miami (OH) and Central Michigan; Michigan and Calvin Tabbed to Repeat as league champions

9/21/03

ANN ARBOR, MICH. - The Central Collegiate Lacrosse Association voted to admit two new member teams at their annual Fall business meeting yesterday. Central Michigan University was admitted as a B Division team, and Miami University of Ohio was admitted to the A Division. Hope College was denied admission for the second straight year. This brings the total number of teams in the CCLA to sixteen, with nine in Division A and seven in Division B.

This was the second time that Central Michigan attempted to gain admission to the conference. The Chippewas, from Mount Pleasant, Michigan - about an hour North of Lansing, have had a successful lacrosse program for 10 years. The team has played a regular season schedule that already included several A and B Division CCLA teams for the past several years.

The Miami University Redhawks have been top team in the NCLL over the last several seasons. The Oxford, Ohio team is the first program from the Buckeye state to make the jump up to the USLIA level of play.

The addition of another Division A team, which brings the total to nine, forced a change in the scheduling procedures. With the new USLIA rule requiring three non-conference contests in order to qualify for an at-large bid to the National Championship Tournament, the CCLA decided to drop the number of required conference games from seven to six, rather than raise the number to eight. (With nine teams, the seven game requirement does not work mathematically.) Required leagues games were chosen randomly. Teams were free to schedule non-required conference opponents, but those games will not count toward CCLA standings and tournament seedings.

In other news from the meeting, Notre Dame Prep High School was confirmed as the site of the 2004 CCLA Championships. The Pontiac, Michigan school hosted the 2003 championships following a two year run at IUPUI in Indianapolis, Indiana. The tournament, which crowns both the CCLA Division A and Division B champions, will take place April 30 - May 2.

The CCLA also decided to mandate US Lacrosse membership for all conference coaches and players, beginning in the 2004-2005 academic year. Comprehensive insurance coverage was the main reason for the move, and the one year preparation period will allow teams to adjust their budgets to absorb the additional cost.

The CCLA coaches also voted for their pre-season conference rankings at the league meeting. The Michigan Wolverines, winners of the first five CCLA Division A championships were picked to win their sixth straight crown. Calvin College, the defending CCLA Division B champions, were picked to repeat as well.

2004 CCLA Division A Pre-Season Coaches Poll
1. Michigan
2. Oakland
3. Michigan State
4. SUNY-Buffalo
5. Western Michigan
6. Indiana
7. Miami (OH)
8. Purdue
9. Pittsburgh

CCLA Division B Pre-Season Coaches Poll
1. Calvin
2. Eastern Michigan
3. Taylor
4. Central Michigan
5. Grand Valley State
6. Ferris State
7. Michigan-Dearborn

Contact George Counes at (517) 347-7422 or John Paul at (734) 622-9942.