The Western Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (WILA) was a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II lacrosse-only college athletic conference composed of schools located in the Western United States. All schools are members of other conferences in other sports. WILA was formed at the beginning of the 2010–2011 academic year in order to name a champion (which does not involve a tournament), players of the week, and an all-league team at the end of the season. With no automatic qualifiers (AQ) currently in NCAA Division II men's lacrosse, conferences play a different role than in Division III.
The WILA is a loose confederation that not only assures games for its members, but also hopes to act as a catalyst for other NCAA Division II institutions looking to make a move to varsity lacrosse and eyeing stability. "It's what you need to do in non-traditional areas," said Notre Dame de Namur men's lacrosse coach Steve Dini. The WILA schedule features home-and-home contests with all schools. The 2010–2011 season included Adams State, Fort Lewis, Colorado Mesa and Regis competing in women's lacrosse, while Adams State, Dominican, Grand Canyon, Colorado Mesa and Notre Dame de Namur competed in men's lacrosse.
Lindenwood University joins the conference beginning with the 2011–2012 academic year with both men's and women's teams. They replaced Grand Canyon University, which left the conference at the end of the 2010–2011 season, after the university announced that their program would compete at the club level in the Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association. The WILA concluded its second season in April 2012. Colorado Mesa won the association's men's championship with a conference record of 6-2; the championship was the first for Colorado Mesa in the program's second year of NCAA lacrosse competition. On the women's side, Lindenwood won the 2012 WILA women's lacrosse championship in the program's first season of NCAA competition. The Lady Lions recorded an 8-0 conference record en route to the title. The season saw additional membership changes when Lindenwood announced its men's program would join the new ECAC Division II Lacrosse League starting in the 2012–2013 academic year. The announcement was followed a week later by the addition of McKendree University's new women's lacrosse program starting in the 2012–2013 academic year.
Men's lacrosse was added as an official Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference sport starting in the 2015–2016 school year, essentially absorbing the WILA. Adams State, Colorado Mesa, and Colorado State–Pueblo are full members of the RMAC and is joined by Rockhurst as an affiliate member.
Member schools
Final membership InstitutionLocationNicknameJoinedCurrentLacrosseConferenceMenWomenAdams State UniversityAlamosa, ColoradoGrizzlies2010Rocky MountainColorado Mesa UniversityGrand Junction, ColoradoMavericks2010Rocky MountainColorado State University–PuebloPueblo, ColoradoThunderWolves2014Rocky MountainRockhurst UniversityKansas City, MissouriHawks2014Rocky Mountain
Former men's members InstitutionLocationNicknameJoinedLeftCurrentLacrosseConferenceDominican University of CaliforniaSan Rafael, CaliforniaPenguins20102014Western Collegiate(MCLA D-I)Grand Canyon UniversityPhoenix, ArizonaAntelopes20102011Southwestern Lacrosse(MCLA D-I)Lindenwood UniversityLions20112012ECAC LacrosseNotre Dame de Namur UniversityBelmont, CaliforniaArgos20102014Defunct
Former women's members InstitutionLocationNicknameJoinedLeftCurrentLacrosseConferenceAdams State UniversityAlamosa, ColoradoGrizzlies20102013Rocky MountainColorado Mesa UniversityGrand Junction, ColoradoMavericks20102013Rocky MountainFort Lewis CollegeDurango, ColoradoSkyhawks20102013Rocky MountainLindenwood UniversityLions20112013Rocky MountainMcKendree UniversityLebanon, IllinoisBearcats20122013Great LakesRegis UniversityDenver, ColoradoRangers20102013Rocky Mountain
Membership timeline
Champions
Men's 2011: Notre Dame de Namur 2012: Colorado Mesa 2013: Dominican 2014: Dominican 2015: Colorado Mesa
Women's 2011: Regis 2012: Lindenwood 2013: Lindenwood
External links Official site
References