ATLANTA – By a majority vote of the Board of Directors, the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA), the preeminent non-varsity league in the country, will host the 2021 MCLA Invitational.

The eight-team invitational featuring teams from both divisions is scheduled for May 12-14 in Round Rock, Texas, and is designed to give MCLA teams a chance for quality, season-ending competition.

Despite not reaching the original threshold of certified teams to hold the tournament, the board decided to hold the event in an effort to give viable teams an end-of-season option.

“It’s important for us to have a showcase and provide a reward for those teams able to play this spring,” said MCLA president Ken Lovic. “We’d all love to have a full tournament with all our top teams, but this is the next best thing.”

Teams that have not already turned in the certification form must still be certified by their rec/club sports department or similar entity to be considered by the selection committee for the eight-team tournament. The deadline for consideration is 6 p.m. on April 15.

The 17-member selection committee has set the minimum number of games at five, which can consist of competition against non-MCLA programs. A team must also have at least one game against another MCLA opponent to be considered.

“This will obviously be a challenging year for the selection committee,” said Gary Podesta, the MCLA’s director of competition and chair of the committee. “We’ll likely have metrics we’ve never used before or will again, but we’ll do everything we can to put the eight most-qualified teams in Round Rock in May.”

As stipulated in the certification form, the 2021 MCLA Invitational will NOT be open to fans, parents or the general public. Only rostered players and coaches will be permitted at the event, which EXCLUDES managers, statisticians, videographers and social media representatives. The tournament will not be streamed.

Regardless of state or regional policy, masks, social distancing and sanitation procedures will be in effect where needed. Specific safety protocols will be provided to those teams that are selected for the tournament.