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.[1] The WILA schedule features home-and-home contests with all schools.[2] 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.[3]
Lindenwood University joins the conference beginning with the 2011–2012 academic year with both men's and women's teams.[4] 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.[5][6] 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;[7] the championship was the first for Colorado Mesa in the program's second year of NCAA lacrosse competition.[8] 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.[9] 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.[10] 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.[11]
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.
^"Going Back to Cali: NDNU Alters Its Focus". Lacrosse Magazine. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
^"Lacrosse Sets Course For 2011". Grand Canyon University Athletics official press release. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
^Staff (February 11, 2011). "Division II Men's Lacrosse: Western Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association". Inside Lacrosse. Retrieved May 31, 2011.
^"Lindenwood Lacrosse Teams Join WILA for 2012". LaxPower. June 7, 2011. Retrieved June 8, 2011.
^Coyne, Jac (March 10, 2011). "Grand Canyon Decides to Drop Program". Lacrosse Magazine. Retrieved May 31, 2011.
^"Lacrosse to Join MCLA". Grand Canyon University. April 8, 2011. Retrieved June 3, 2011.
^"Mavs get defensive in 8-6 WILA clinching win over ASC". Adams State College. April 2012. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
^Stafford, Phil (April 10, 2012). "Mavs leading the WILA with new strategy". KKCO. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
^Eighinger, Steve (April 30, 2012). "Lindenwood Wins First D-II Title". Retrieved April 29, 2012.
^"ECAC Announces New Division II Men's Lacrosse League to Begin Play in 2013". ECAC. March 28, 2012. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
^Staff (April 3, 2012). "New McKendree (Ill.) Program Added to WILA for 2012-2013". LaxPower.com. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
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