ATLANTA – The Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA), the preeminent non-varsity league in the country, has announced that it will be using an AI ChatBot at the 2020 National Championships presented by New Balance.

The Bot, which works on any contemporary phone or tablet, will be used in lieu of a paper program this spring.

“Our entire organization is run off of player dues, so we’re also looking for innovative ways to save money,” said MCLA president Ken Lovic. “Using this technology, we will also save a tree or two and limit waste at our championships.”

The Bot will be created with help from 42Chat, a Salt Lake City-based company that is on the forefront of producing event bots. The Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) used 42Chat to create the Bot used at its events last year.

Using SMS text messaging, fans will be able to ask the ChatBot questions regarding scheduling, rosters, results, statistics, directions and updates, among other options.

“Having a hard-copy championship program is a tradition that dates to beginning of the MCLA, so using a Bot will take some time to get used to,” said MCLA national tournament director Matt Holman. “Still, we felt that employing this new technology now is going to greatly enhance the championship experience for fans and players.”

In order to for the Bot to work at maximum efficiency, rosters, stats and schedules will have to be diligently kept up to date. Changes can be submitted to [email protected].

Keep an eye out for more details about the Bot and instructions on how to sign up – whether you’re in Salt Lake City or not – in the coming months.