USA Lacrosse will host the Next Collegiate League (NCL) for the second straight year on Tierney Field at the organization’s headquarters in Sparks, Md.
The NCL, an innovative league using a Sixes format with HBCU men’s lacrosse teams from the Mid-Atlantic region, played one round of games at USA Lacrosse last year, but will play its entire 2023 schedule at the facility.
The 2023 season begins this Sunday, April 2 at 11 a.m. with an eight-game schedule for the day.
- 11 am: Delaware State vs. Lincoln
- 12 pm: Norfolk State vs. UMES
- 1 pm: Morgan State vs. Bowie State
- 2 pm: Delaware State vs. UMES
- 3 pm: Norfolk State vs. Lincoln
- 4 pm: Morgan State vs. Howard
- 5 pm: Coppin State vs. Bowie State
- 6 pm: Coppin State vs. Howard
Games will also be held on April 8, April 16, April 23, April 30 and then the league championship on May 7.
USA Lacrosse and the NCL share a mission of expanding the visibility of Sixes lacrosse on a global level and this agreement allows them to showcase this discipline of the sport for potential inclusion in the 2028 LA Olympics.
The offseason saw the NCL growing through geographic expansion into Virginia and the inclusion of new schools on the roster of teams competing this spring. The Spartans of Norfolk State University boast their first ever lacrosse program in school history, joining Bowie State University, Coppin State University, Delaware State University, Howard University, Lincoln University, Morgan State University and the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore in the league.
“This is what the NCL is all about,” said Marcus Clifton, SVP of Business Development for Next Level Sports and Entertainment (NLSE). “We’re broadening what this sport looks like, both in terms of the playing style and the participants in the league. If you want to smash ceilings and make a real impact, you must be bold. The Next Collegiate League does that by removing all barriers to entry, and putting a spotlight on schools and players that haven’t seen a pathway like this in lacrosse."
Delaware State defeated Morgan State to win the inaugural league championship in 2022.
The NCL Lacrosse 2023 season begins April, 2nd and continues through Championship Weekend on May 7th. Select matches will be broadcast on NLSE with all games being made available via NLSE’s streaming platform (expected to launch soon). For full schedule and ticketing information visit https://nextcollegiateleague.rsvpify.com/ and follow @NLSELAX on Twitter and Instagram.
Next Level Sports is a global 24/7/365 sports network available to more than 28 million U.S. households on leading cable and satellite providers including Verizon FiOS, DIRECTV, and FuboTV. For sports coverage of all types including highlights, betting tips, and stories that move you, visit https://www.nlse.com/ and follow (@NLSETV) on Snapchat Discover, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Facebook.
