Atlantic Lacrosse Conference Explained
| Atlantic Lacrosse Conference |
| Sport: | College Lacrosse |
| Founded: | 2020 |
| President: | Panchito Ojeda |
| Divisions: | 2 |
| Teams: | 22 |
| Champions: | Division 1: Liberty (2nd Title)
Division 2: UNC Charlotte (3rd title) |
| Champ Season: | 2024 |
| Most Successful Club: | Division 1: Virginia Tech & Liberty (Tied at 2 Titles)
Division 2: UNC Charlotte (3 Titles) |
| Website: | https://mcla.us/conference/alc |
| Association: | Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association |
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.[1]
History
At the end of the 2020 season, the MCLA Board of Directors announced that they voted to split the SouthEastern Lacrosse Conference (SELC), resulting in the founding of a new conference, which would become the Atlantic Lacrosse Conference. Its founding members were Clemson, East Carolina, George Washington, Liberty, North Carolina State, Tennessee, Virginia Tech and West Virginia.[2]
At the end of the 2021 season, the ALC announced its intentions to expand and create a division 2 component to the conference. The founding division 2 teams were Appalachian State, Coastal Carolina, Elon, UNC-Charlotte, UNC-Wilmington and Wake Forest, all of which moved over from the SELC. It was also announced at that time that Pittsburgh and Temple had moved from the Continental Lacrosse Conference (CLC) to the ALC, joining its Division 1 teams.[3]
The 2023 season added three new division 2 teams, College of Charleston, The Citadel, and Davidson College, all whom moved over from the SELC. The 2024 season added the College of William & Mary, Longwood University, and a division-2 team for Virginia Tech.
Teams
| Institution | Location | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined |
|---|
| Division I |
|---|
| Clemson University | Clemson, South Carolina | 27,341 | Tigers | 2021 |
| East Carolina University | Greenville, North Carolina | 28,021 | Pirates | 2021 |
| James Madison University | Harrisonburg, Virginia | 22,166 | Dukes | 2022 |
| Liberty University | Lynchburg, Virginia | 95,148 | Flames | 2022 |
| North Carolina State University | Raleigh, North Carolina | 36,831 | Wolfpack | 2021 |
| University of Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | 29,238 | Panthers | 2022 |
| Temple University | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 35,626 | Owls | 2022 |
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Tennessee | 31,701 | Volunteers | 2021 |
| Virginia Tech | Blacksburg, Virginia | 37,279 | Hokies | 2021 |
| West Virginia University | Morgantown, West Virginia | 25,474 | Mountaineers | 2021 |
| Division II |
|---|
| Appalachian State University | Boone, North Carolina | 20,641 | Mountaineers | 2022 |
| The Citadel | Charleston, South Carolina | 3,693 | Bulldogs | 2023 |
| Coastal Carolina University | Conway, South Carolina | 10,473 | Chanticleers | 2022 |
| College of Charleston | Charleston, South Carolina | 10,941 | Cougars | 2023 |
| College of William & Mary | Williamsburg, Virginia | 9.517 | Tribe | 2024 |
| Davidson College | Davidson, North Carolina | 1,973 | Wildcats | 2023 |
| Elon University | Elon, North Carolina | 7,127 | Phoenix | 2022 |
| Longwood University | Farmville, Virginia | 5,096 | Lancers | 2024 |
| University of North Carolina–Charlotte | Charlotte, North Carolina | 30,448 | 49ers | 2022 |
| University of North Carolina–Wilmington | Wilmington, North Carolina | 18,030 | Seahawks | 2022 |
| Virginia Tech (DII) | Blacksburg, Virginia | 37,279 | Hokies | 2024 |
| Wake Forest University | Winston-Salem, North Carolina | 8,947 | Demon Deacons | 2022 | |
Conference Champions
Division 1!Season!Champion!Score!Runner-up!Link| 2021 | Liberty | 17-8 | Clemson | [4] |
| 2022 | Virginia Tech | 18-11 | Clemson | [5] |
| 2023 | Virginia Tech | 14-132OT | Liberty | [6] |
| 2024 | Liberty | 17-13 | Tennessee | [7] | |
Note: Italic text denotes MCLA National Champion runner-upDivision 2!Season!Champion!Score!Runner-up!Link| 2022 | UNC Charlotte | 16-8 | Coastal Carolina | [8] |
| 2023 | UNC Charlotte | 11-9 | Coastal Carolina | [9] |
| 2024 | UNC Charlotte | 14-9 | Wake Forest | [10] | |
Notes and References
- Web site: About the ALC - A Conference of the MCLA . 2022-07-07 . mcla.us.
- Web site: MCLA Announces New Conference . 2022-07-07 . Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association . en.
- Web site: ALC Expands, Adds Division II . 2022-07-07 . Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association . en.
- Web site: MCLA - Tournament - 2021 ALC Division I Tournament . 2023-04-20 . mcla.us.
- Web site: MCLA - Tournament - 2022 ALC Division I Tournament . 2023-04-20 . mcla.us.
- Web site: MCLA - Tournament - 2023 ALC Division I Tournament . 2023-04-20 . mcla.us.
- Web site: MCLA - Tournament - 2024 ALC Division I Tournament . 2024-04-29 . mcla.us.
- Web site: MCLA - Tournament - 2022 ALC Division II Tournament . 2023-04-20 . mcla.us.
- Web site: MCLA - Tournament - 2023 ALC Division II Tournament . 2023-04-20 . mcla.us.
- Web site: MCLA - Tournament - 2024 ALC Division II Tournament . 2024-04-29 . mcla.us.
