(Photo by Bob White)

ATLANTA – The Board of Directors of the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA), the preeminent non-varsity league in the country, has voted to grant the Pacific Northwest Collegiate Lacrosse League (PNCLL) a waiver to keep its automatic qualifying status for the 2022 MCLA National Championships presented by New Balance.

The waiver, which applies only to PNCLL Division I, was issued due to the unknown circumstances of Simon Fraser, located in Burnaby, British Columbia.

To this point, Simon Fraser has not been allowed over the Canadian border by order of its own government. If SFU is unable to fulfill its minimum requirements, the PNCLL would fall below the six-team requirement to retain its automatic qualifier.

The granting of this waiver request allows the remaining five teams – and Simon Fraser, if possible – to have access to nationals.

“The board has made the right decision in my opinion,” said MCLA president Ken Lovic. “Simon Fraser wants to play lacrosse, but because of forces larger than the program, they are unable. The PNCLL shouldn’t be penalized for that.”

The PNCLL must maintain five eligible programs for the remainder of the year for the waiver to be granted when tournament selections are made.