Western Collegiate Lacrosse League


The Western Collegiate Lacrosse League is a conference that participates in the Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association. The WCLL operates in California and Nevada 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.

History

The roots of the WCLL go back to 1959 when the California Lacrosse Association was created. This was a hybrid organization that included both college and men's club teams in Southern California. Similarly, the teams in Northern California participated in the Northern California Lacrosse Association . The founding members of the CLA included Claremont, Los Angeles Lacrosse Club, Orange County Lacrosse Club, San Fernando Valley Lacrosse Club, OMBAC, San Marino Lacrosse Club and others.
In 1969, UCLA joined the league, followed by UCSB in 1970.
In 1976, the CLA expanded with the addition of Southern California.
On occasion the CLA Champion would face the NCLA Champion at the end of the season to determine a conference or "California State Champion". UCSB captured the final state championship played under this arrangement defeating their northern counterparts in 1978. In 1979, at the urging of CLA VP and San Diego State alum Mitch Fenton, a separate organization for the collegiate teams in both the CLA and NCLA was brainstormed.
The union that would eventually become the WCLL was founded on Super Bowl Sunday, January 20, 1980 as the California Collegiate Lacrosse Association . A select few gathered at the house of then UCLA Head Coach Mayer Davidson's house in West Los Angeles. Co-founders also included Stanford Head Coach Sam Sadtler, the Claremont Head Coach and Fenton. The original 9 members were: California, Claremont, San Diego State, Santa Clara, Southern California, Stanford, UC Davis, UCLA and UCSB. Fenton served as the first president of the association. When the association was formed it was determined that the top team of the Northern Division would play the top team of the Southern Division at the end of the season to determine the conference champion. In the inaugural championship, the UCSB Gauchos defeated the Stanford Cardinal. One year later, Whittier College joined the league. In 1982, the University of Arizona, Arizona State and Northern Arizona joined the CCLA. That same year the Stanford Cardinal took home the championship defeating UCLA at Stanford.
In 1983, the CCLA renamed itself the Western Collegiate Lacrosse League. That same year Cal Poly SLO joined the conference. Arizona Head Coach and WCLL Co-Founder Mickey-Miles Felton, who was instrumental in the addition of the Arizona schools the year before, served as the league's first president. The WCLL Championship Trophy is named in his honor.
In 1985, Loyola Marymount University was admitted to the conference. In 1987, Chico State was admitted as a full member of the conference.
In 1988, the WCLL split into A and B divisions. That same year Chapman University joined the WCLL as a Division II member. In 1989, Sonoma State joined the WCLL.
In 1997, the WCLL, was one of the charter conferences in the US Lacrosse Intercollegiate Associates. Prior to the 2000 season, Whittier College departed joining the NCAA Division III as an independent. Following the 2002 season, Division II member Cal State San Marcos left the conference. Following the 2004 season, Division II member Cal State Hayward left the conference.
The addition of the University of Nevada, Reno and St. Mary's College to the WCLL Division I at the annual conference meeting in 2004 lead to a massive realignment of the conference. The 20 Division I teams were split into 4 geographic divisions for the 2005 season. In 2005, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and UC Santa Cruz joined the league, followed by Cal State Fullerton and San Jose State in 2006. That same year, the USLIA reorganized into the Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association.
The league grew into the largest MCLA conferences but saw big changes in 2009. The University of California, Merced joined the league for the 2009 season but the league lost its entire Central Division, made up of Chapman, UC Santa Barbara, Claremont, Loyola Marymount, USC, and UCLA; and lost the majority of its Southern Division, including: Arizona State, San Diego State, Arizona, San Diego, UC San Diego. The WCLL also lost six of ten Division II members, including: Biola, Cal Lutheran, Cal State Fullerton, Occidental, Pepperdine, UC Irvine, and UNLV. The exiting teams formed the Southwestern Lacrosse Conference.

Teams

Former members

InstitutionLocationTeam NicknameTenureNew ConferenceNew Classification
Arizona State UniversityTempe, ArizonaSun Devils1982–2009SLCMCLA Division I
Biola UniversityLa Mirada, CaliforniaEagles2001–2009SLCMCLA Division II
California Lutheran UniversityThousand Oaks, CaliforniaKingsmen2005–2009SLCMCLA Division II
California State University, FullertonFullerton, CaliforniaTitans2006–2009SLCMCLA Division II
California State University, HaywardHayward, CaliforniaPioneers1997–2004ceased operations in 2004N/A
California State University, SacramentoSacramento, CaliforniaHornets1986–1998ceased operations in 1998N/A
California State University, San MarcosSan Marcos, CaliforniaCougarsunknown-2002N/AN/A
Chapman UniversityOrange, CaliforniaPanthers1988–2009SLCMCLA Division I
Claremont McKenna CollegeClaremont, CaliforniaCougars1980–2009SLCMCLA Division I
Loyola Marymount UniversityLos Angeles, CaliforniaLions1985–2009SLCMCLA Division I
Northern Arizona UniversityFlagstaff, ArizonaLumberjacks1982-unknownN/AN/A
Pepperdine UniversityMalibu, CaliforniaWavesunknown–2009SLCMCLA Division II
Occidental CollegeLos Angeles, CaliforniaTigers2006–2009SLCMCLA Division II
San Diego State UniversitySan Diego, CaliforniaAztecs1980–2009SLCMCLA Division I
University of ArizonaTucson, ArizonaWildcats1982–2009SLCMCLA Division I
University of California, IrvineIrvine, CaliforniaAnteaters1988–2009SLCMCLA Division II
University of California, Los AngelesLos Angeles, CaliforniaBruins1980–2009SLCMCLA Division I
University of California, San DiegoSan Diego, CaliforniaTritonsunknown–2009SLCMCLA Division I
University of Nevada, Las VegasLas Vegas, NevadaRebels2005–2009SLCMCLA Division I
University of San DiegoSan Diego, CaliforniaTorerosunknown–2009SLCMCLA Division I
University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, CaliforniaTrojans1980–2009SLCMCLA Division I
Whittier CollegeWhittier, CaliforniaThe Poets1981–1999IndependentNCAA Division III

Past Conference Champions

Division I

SeasonConference ChampionNorth DivisionSouth Division
1980UCSBStanfordUCSB
1981CaliforniaCaliforniaUCSB
1982StanfordStanfordUCLA
1983UCSBUCSBArizona
1984UCSBUCSBSan Diego State
1985WhittierCaliforniaWhittier
1986WhittierStanfordWhittier
1987UCSBUCSBWhittier
1988WhittierWhittier
1989WhittierWhittier
1990ArizonaUCSBArizona
1991WhittierUCSBWhittier
1992WhittierWhittier
1993WhittierWhittier
1994CaliforniaCaliforniaUCSD
1995CaliforniaWhittier
1996WhittierSonoma StateWhittier
1997WhittierSonoma StateWhittier
1998CaliforniaCaliforniaWhittier
1999WhittierSonoma StateWhittier
2000CaliforniaSonoma StateArizona
2001Sonoma StateSonoma StateArizona
2002Sonoma StateSonoma StateArizona
2003UCSBSonoma StateUCSB
2004UCSBSonoma StateUCSB
SeasonCentralLos Angeles
2005UCSBSonoma StateUC San DiegoCal Poly SLOUCSB
2006Sonoma StateSonoma StateArizonaCal Poly SLOUCSB
2007UCSBSonoma StateArizonaCaliforniaChapman*
2008ChapmanSonoma StateArizona StateStanfordChapman
2009Cal Poly----
2010Cal Poly----
2011Cal Poly----
2012Cal Poly----
2013Stanford----
2014Cal Poly----
2015Stanford----
2016Cal Poly----
2017Cal Poly----
2018California----

* ineligible for playoffs
TeamChampionshipsWinning years
Whittier101985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1999
UCSB81980, 1983, 1984, 1987, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007
Cal Poly72009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017
California61981, 1994, 1995, 1998, 2000, 2018
Sonoma State32001, 2002, 2006
Stanford21982, 2013, 2015
Arizona11990
Chapman12008

SeasonConference ChampionNorth DivisionSouth Division
1988Chico State
1989Chico State
1990
1991Saint Mary's
1992Chapman
1993UC Santa Cruz
1994UC Irvine
1995Arizona State
1996Sacramento State
1997Arizona State
1998San Diego
1999San Diego
2000Saint Mary'sSaint Mary'sClaremont
2001ChapmanSaint Mary'sChapman
2002Southern CaliforniaSaint Mary'sPepperdine
2003ClaremontSaint Mary'sClaremont
2004San DiegoSaint Mary'sSan Diego
2005San Diego
2006San DiegoClaremontSan Diego
2007UC IrvinePepperdineUC Irvine
2008UC Santa CruzUC Santa CruzBiola
2009UC Santa CruzSaint Mary's-
2010Saint Mary'sUC Santa Cruz-
2011Saint Mary'sUC Santa Cruz-
2012Saint Mary'sUC Santa Cruz-
2013UC Santa CruzNevada-
2014Nevada--

TeamChampionshipsWinning years
San Diego51998, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2006
Saint Mary's51991, 2000, 2010, 2011, 2012
UC Santa Cruz41993, 2008, 2009, 2013
Arizona State21995, 1997
Chapman21992, 2001
Chico State21988, 1989
UC Irvine22007, 1994
Claremont12003
Sacramento State11996
Southern California12002
Nevada12014