by Jac Coyne | MCLA.us

LA CROSSE, Wis. – Not sure if it’s because of my advancing years or number of kids, but this offseason dragged for me.

It shouldn't have, considering we're experiencing the Golden Age of MCLA lacrosse with new teams emerging every year as upstarts and contenders. Maybe I was just too excited for the start of this next campaign, thus the long offseason.

Regardless, today’s opening-season game featuring an LSA showdown between Arkansas and defending league champion LSU is exciting, as it starts the 106-day sprint to May 9 when we’ll crown our 24th Division I national champion and 16th Division II title-bearer.

As usual, along the way we’ll be doling out awards for Dominant Performance of the Week presented by Warrior, PEARL’s Goalie of the Week, US Lacrosse Player of the Month, the Godekeraw and All-Americans in both divisions.

In additional news, we’ll have an announcement soon about the MCLA using some current technology to save a tree or two this May. It’ll take some getting used to, especially for Gen-Xers like me, but it’s important that we utilize all of our available tools to be maximize our budget.

As you’ve probably heard by now, we’re also returning to the Salt Lake City RAC for the 2020 MCLA National Championships presented by New Balance, with the finals taking place across town at Judge Memorial Catholic High School. We’ll move to Round Rock, Texas, for 2021-22.

What are some of the storylines for the 2020 regular season? I’ll give you a couple of mine.

In Division I, can South Carolina replace a bunch of glue guys and get back to the promised land? It’s been seven years since MCLA-I has had a repeat champion and we’ve had five first-time kings in the meantime. Plenty of headwinds for the Gamecocks, but there is still oodles of talent in Columbia.

How about Cal? The Bears joined the New England Patriots by suffering the only loss of the season in the championship game and now they have rebound as much emotionally as reloading the roster.

Was UNH a one-hit wonder with a monster senior class? Is the SELC really a consistent four-bid conference? Can old stalwarts like UC Santa Barbara, Colorado State and Sonoma State reemerge on the national scene? Can the PNCLL keep its AQ? How will Oklahoma and Texas fare in the RMLC? Can LSU go back-to-back? Is Temple ready for a big splash?

And the list goes on.

In Division II, will a new coach slow down the Tommies? Is College of Idaho ready for the next step? Is the UMLC going to remain a bloodbath? Can Sierra Nevada recapture the old magic? Can North Florida keep the momentum going?

I’m excited to find out the answers and it starts tonight in Baton Rouge.

- Following Friday’s kickoff contest, there are six games on Saturday and two more on Sunday.

- As always, if you have any changes to your roster, send them to [email protected]. And remember that rosters need to be locked and confirmed by the conference eligibility chair a week before the first game.

- If you have any additions/cancellations to your schedule, they must be approved by Director of Competition Gary Podesta. Time and location changes can be sent to [email protected].

- Home teams are responsible for posting a score on the backend within one hour of the game's completion and stats are due for both teams within 72 hours. If you get in a pinch after a game, email the line score (quarterly goals) and final score to [email protected].

- Currently, all eight Division I conferences have automatic qualifiers, with the RMLC regaining its auto bid with the addition of Texas and Oklahoma. Seven of the eight conferences in D-II have the AQ, with the WCLL being the lone exception.