What Does the Future Hold for the MCLA?

Well MCLA fans the 2013 campaign has come to an end and our National Champions have been crowned. All the All- Americans have been named and the final poll has been taken. So now it’s time for us to look to the future of the MCLA.

    After stunning seasons from both Liberty and Westminster, both teams will be moving up to the MCLA D1 ranks. These moves are coming on the heels of both teams making the Final Four for Liberty, in their first National Tourney, and National Runner-up for Westminster.

    Liberty will be playing in the SELC along with Tournament teams like Georgia. Liberty will be entering their fourth season in the MCLA. They should do well in the SELC next season, seeing as teams like Grand Canyon and Davenport have shown that D2 teams who move up to the D1 level can have success right away. Put this with the fact that they play in a conference not known for huge powerhouses.

    Westminster will definitely have the harder time playing in the RMLC. They will have to contend with three of the toughest programs in the MCLA next year in CSU, CU, and BYU. The RMLC is without a doubt the toughest conference in the nation and it will be a trial by fire for the Griffins come next spring.

    The MCLA D2 is also losing another Tournament team in the U.S. Coast Guard Academy who will be moving to the NCAA next season.

    At D1 level the problems are just getting worse for the UMLC. There is a credible rumor going around the midwest that Minnesota- Duluth is jumping ship in favor of the GRLC. This is something that would completely kill the UMLC especially after losing their AQ after Marquette left for the NCAA. Now UMD has legitimate reason in wanting to leave, when you look at the fact that they were one of the last teams out of the National Tournament when Oregon State won the PNCLL. This move also makes sense when you look at the teams in the GRLC, UMD plays a number of them already and really has no problems with them. Their biggest problem games would be Wisconsin, Pitt, Indiana, and Illinois. The UMLC is in a lot of trouble if this does happen because after the Bulldogs there really isn’t that much of conference.

    Also at the D1 level there have been a lot of coaching changes and a few are names who were with their programs for a long time and had a lot put into building these teams. Teams who have gone with new coaching include Sonoma St., Florida St., and Florida. This is something that needs to be looked at seriously because many of the coaches give a lot of themselves to their teams and programs for pennies really and they could out in one swift kick.

    Another big question mark is where the National Tournament will be held next year and really in the coming years. Greenville’s two year contract has run its course and I think the expirament of having an east coast based tournament is done too. After two years I don’t think Greenville has worked out well, the first year the fields that were used for the first two rounds were not great and then this year Sirrine Stadium had large dirt patches in many places. So this coupled with the fact that 3/4 of the teams are from west of the Mississippi or the upper midwest, it just doesnt make sense for the MCLA to have an east coast tournament. That brings us to the report that Brown University has submitted a bid for the 2015 tournament. This is nice but still east coast. I think the MCLA needs to get to a more central city to be able to draw fans to the fields, so my recommendation to them is go with St. Louis, Chicago, OKC, or maybe come back to my neck of the woods and go back to Minneapolis. The MCLA needs to realize that just because it’s cheap it does not make it the best option.

    Things are a changing in the MCLA but some things will never change it was a great season for everyone involved and a congrats to both Champions Colorado St. and St. Thomas on their back to back National Titles.

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