By LacrosseNewsNetwork.com

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Have you ever heard of the NAIA?  The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is a governing body of small athletics programs.  The NAIA is not new, they have been around since 1937 and currently provide over 60,000 student athletes the opportunity to compete in 27 different sports.  While many NAIA schools have had lacrosse it is just now becoming a “recognized sport” in the NAIA. 

In the past, NAIA lacrosse programs have competed against MCLA teams and even been able to participate in MCLA championship tournaments.  This season, lacrosse’s first as a recognized sport, has “invitational” status.  This means that at least 25 NAIA programs have committed to attending a national championship event.