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December 30, 2023 - A total of 242 teams will compete in 2024 for 38 NCAA Division III lacrosse tournament spots. In the quest for a place in Philadelphia on Memorial Day weekend, 27 conference champions will receive automatic qualifying bids in 2024, with 10 spots going to at-large selections. One spot is reserved for “Group B,” which includes independents and the Coastal Lacrosse Conference, home to defending D3 champion Salisbury University.
The 2024 season will get underway with four total fewer teams than 2023 after Whittier College (CA), Monmouth College (IL), and Eastern Nazarene College (MA) dropped their programs and both Cazenovia College (NY) and Medaille University (NY) ceased operations. Elms College (MA), however, begins its inaugural season this year, while 2019 NCAA Champion Cabrini University (PA) competes in its final season before the university closes its doors. Four schools - Alfred State College (NY), Elmira College (NY), University of Pittsburgh-Bradford (PA), and Lawrence University (WI) - will begin programs in 2025.
Plenty of schools have switched conferences ahead of the 2024 season. A summary of movement follows.
The Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) and the United East merged with six schools left competing for the conference automatic qualifier. The merger ended the alliance between the CSAC and the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) for an NCAA automatic bid, captured by New England College (NH) in 2023.
Mitchell College (CT) and New England College left the NECC to join the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC), while Eastern Nazarene College (MA) left the NECC to join the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) before discontinuing its men's lacrosse program.
SUNY-Morrisville (NY) announced it would leave the United East to join the NAC for the 2024 season. The move will be temporary, however, as the Mustangs have already announced they will join the SUNY Athletic Conference in 2025.
University of Hartford (CT) joins the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) as a provisional member in 2024 as it continues its reclassification from Division I. The Hawks went 6-0 against D3 opponents in limited 2023 play.
Salve Regina University (RI), meanwhile, left the CCC to join the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC).
Elms College (MA) will compete in the GNAC for its first season.
In Pennsylvania, both Lycoming College and Wilkes University left the MAC Freedom Conference to join the Landmark Conference, giving that conference 10 schools. To balance the MAC Commonwealth and Freedom at eight schools each, Lebanon Valley College moved to the Freedom.
As part of an effort to balance the number of schools in a region, several conferences switched regions this year. The North Atlantic Conference is now in Region II, moving from Region I. Both the Heartland Collegiate Men's Lacrosse Conference and the North Coast Athletic Conference moved from Region IV to Region V while the Southern Athletic Association went the opposite direction, heading to Region V from Region IV.
2024 Conferences by Region (2023 Champion)
All are Automatic Qualifiers except the Coastal Lacrosse Conference
Region I
Commonwealth Coast Conference (Western New England)
Great Northeast Athletic Conference (Emmanuel College)
Little East Conference (Western Connecticut State University)
New England Small College Athletic Conference (Tufts University)
New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (Babson College)
Region II
Empire 8 (St. John Fisher University)
Liberty League (Rochester Institute of Technology)
North Atlantic Conference (Maine Maritime Academy)
Skyline Conference (U.S. Merchant Marine Academy)
United East (St. Mary’s College of Maryland)
Region III
Atlantic East Conference (Cabrini University)
Centennial Conference (Dickinson College
Coastal Lacrosse Conference (Salisbury University), Group B in 2024
Landmark Conference (University of Scranton)
MAC Commonwealth (York University)
MAC Freedom (Stevens Institute of Technology)
Region IV
Ohio Athletic Conference (John Carroll University)
Old Dominion Athletic Conference (Washington & Lee University)
Presidents’ Athletic Conference (Grove City College)
Southern Athletic Association (Centre College)
USA South Athletic Conference (Pfeiffer University)
Region V
College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (Illinois Wesleyan University)
Heartland Collegiate Men’s Lacrosse Conference (Colorado College)
Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (Hope College)
Midwest Lacrosse Conference (Lake Forest College)
North Coast Athletic Conference (Denison University)
Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (Aurora University)
The 2024 season will get underway with four total fewer teams than 2023 after Whittier College (CA), Monmouth College (IL), and Eastern Nazarene College (MA) dropped their programs and both Cazenovia College (NY) and Medaille University (NY) ceased operations. Elms College (MA), however, begins its inaugural season this year, while 2019 NCAA Champion Cabrini University (PA) competes in its final season before the university closes its doors. Four schools - Alfred State College (NY), Elmira College (NY), University of Pittsburgh-Bradford (PA), and Lawrence University (WI) - will begin programs in 2025.
Plenty of schools have switched conferences ahead of the 2024 season. A summary of movement follows.
The Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) and the United East merged with six schools left competing for the conference automatic qualifier. The merger ended the alliance between the CSAC and the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) for an NCAA automatic bid, captured by New England College (NH) in 2023.
Mitchell College (CT) and New England College left the NECC to join the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC), while Eastern Nazarene College (MA) left the NECC to join the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) before discontinuing its men's lacrosse program.
SUNY-Morrisville (NY) announced it would leave the United East to join the NAC for the 2024 season. The move will be temporary, however, as the Mustangs have already announced they will join the SUNY Athletic Conference in 2025.
University of Hartford (CT) joins the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) as a provisional member in 2024 as it continues its reclassification from Division I. The Hawks went 6-0 against D3 opponents in limited 2023 play.
Salve Regina University (RI), meanwhile, left the CCC to join the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC).
Elms College (MA) will compete in the GNAC for its first season.
In Pennsylvania, both Lycoming College and Wilkes University left the MAC Freedom Conference to join the Landmark Conference, giving that conference 10 schools. To balance the MAC Commonwealth and Freedom at eight schools each, Lebanon Valley College moved to the Freedom.
As part of an effort to balance the number of schools in a region, several conferences switched regions this year. The North Atlantic Conference is now in Region II, moving from Region I. Both the Heartland Collegiate Men's Lacrosse Conference and the North Coast Athletic Conference moved from Region IV to Region V while the Southern Athletic Association went the opposite direction, heading to Region V from Region IV.
2024 Conferences by Region (2023 Champion)
All are Automatic Qualifiers except the Coastal Lacrosse Conference
Region I
Commonwealth Coast Conference (Western New England)
Great Northeast Athletic Conference (Emmanuel College)
Little East Conference (Western Connecticut State University)
New England Small College Athletic Conference (Tufts University)
New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (Babson College)
Region II
Empire 8 (St. John Fisher University)
Liberty League (Rochester Institute of Technology)
North Atlantic Conference (Maine Maritime Academy)
Skyline Conference (U.S. Merchant Marine Academy)
United East (St. Mary’s College of Maryland)
Region III
Atlantic East Conference (Cabrini University)
Centennial Conference (Dickinson College
Coastal Lacrosse Conference (Salisbury University), Group B in 2024
Landmark Conference (University of Scranton)
MAC Commonwealth (York University)
MAC Freedom (Stevens Institute of Technology)
Region IV
Ohio Athletic Conference (John Carroll University)
Old Dominion Athletic Conference (Washington & Lee University)
Presidents’ Athletic Conference (Grove City College)
Southern Athletic Association (Centre College)
USA South Athletic Conference (Pfeiffer University)
Region V
College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (Illinois Wesleyan University)
Heartland Collegiate Men’s Lacrosse Conference (Colorado College)
Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (Hope College)
Midwest Lacrosse Conference (Lake Forest College)
North Coast Athletic Conference (Denison University)
Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (Aurora University)