National Collegiate Athletic Association

NCAA News Archive - 2010

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Feb 3, 2010 8:31:19 AM

The Eastern College Athletic Conference Lacrosse League will host a tournament to determine the league's champion and the recipient of the automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Lacrosse Championship beginning in 2011.

Commissioner Rudy Keeling announced Tuesday that most of the eight league members voted for the change. The league expanded this year by adding Ohio State, Denver, Air Force, Quinnipiac and Bellarmine.

"We are delighted to have this opportunity to showcase our league, which contains some of the top teams in the country," Keeling said. "We're also pleased that we can avoid deciding our automatic-bid recipient through a tiebreaker formula, as has sometimes been the case, and instead have the student-athletes have an opportunity to earn the NCAA bid on the field."

The inaugural championship will begin with two semifinal games May 6, 2011, and a championship game May 8.

"Not only will the tournament highlight the strength of our league but it also will give our teams even greater exposure on a national stage during one of the most exciting times of the season," said Air Force head coach Eric Seremet.

The winner of the 2010 ECAC Lacrosse League will earn the right to host the 2011 tournament. The site of the 2012 tournament will be determined through a bid process.