Backed Again by NLL, NCBS National Championship Bound to be Best Ever
August 6, 2024By: Craig Rybczynski
For four days, some of the world’s best college box lacrosse players will once again take center stage in Utica, NY, to compete in the National Collegiate Box Series (NCBS) National Championship. The event, presented through a partnership between the US Box Lacrosse Association (USBOXLA) and the National Lacrosse League, will be held from August 7 to 10 at the 1,200-seat Utica University Nexus Center.
“We are excited to continue our partnership with the NCBS National Championship,” said NLL EVP of Lacrosse Operations Brian Lemon. “The tournament continues to be a proving ground for future NLL players, coaches, and officials. Events like these are an invaluable tool in helping grow the sport of box lacrosse in the United States.”
The National Lacrosse League footprint will again be visible as NLL referees officiate the games, and former and current NLL players will try to coach their teams to a national title. NLL coaches and general managers will also be on-site for the event or watching online as they prepare for the 2024 National Lacrosse League Entry Draft.
The broadcasts will be staffed by NLL play-by-play veterans Cooper Perkins and Jon Abbott, with former NLL standout Mitch Belisle and current NLL rising star Jonathan Donville providing world-class analysis. The live broadcasts will be streamed online for free via the NLL’s YouTube Channel and live scored on NCBS.tv.
“We could not be more excited for another year and another NCBS Championship, filled with our deepest rosters and talent pool to date,” said NCBS Commissioner Charlie Ragusa. “With the incredible support from the National Lacrosse League and expansion in the future, it is only inevitable to hear more American names called on Draft Day, which is the ultimate goal for these athletes. The Future is Now for American box.”
Now in its fifth year, the NCBS National Championship will feature teams from Buffalo, Columbus, the DMV (Delaware-Maryland-Virginia area), Denver, Philadelphia, Rochester, San Diego and San Jose. The Royals (San Diego) enter the event as the three-time defending champions. The Ohio Rivermen captured the inaugural event in 2019. Since Ohio’s title run, the tournament has grown from two to eight teams.
“The NCBS has continued to grow each year, and we are excited to build on that growth this year,” said San Diego Seals’ defenseman and Director of NCBS Operations Cam Holding. “The players competing in this event are very athletic and play a very physical, fast-paced brand of the game. Every year this league is around, more current and former NLL players are coaching, and we are continuing to build the skill and IQ of American-born box players. The ceiling is very high for this group of players and this event.”
The NCBS has allowed American-born players the opportunity to showcase their box lacrosse skills to a national audience and catch the eye of NLL general managers. In the 2023 NLL Entry Draft, a record 10 players with NCBS ties were selected. Since 2019, 27 players have been selected in the Draft, including Jack Hannah (Las Vegas), Mac O’Keefe (San Diego), Trevor Baptiste (Philadelphia) and Jake Govett (San Diego).
The tournament format features three pool-play games, the semifinals and the championship game. Things kick off Wednesday, August 7, when the Hawkeyes (Rochester) battle San Jose (Dragons) in a semifinal rematch from last season. The Hawkeyes, Dragons, Red Hawks (Denver) and Potomac Gaels (DMV) comprise one of the two divisions. The other division features the Royals, Buffaloes (Buffalo), Bulls (Ohio) and Kings (Philadelphia).
“We are proud to host the 2024 NCBS Championship at the Nexus Center in Utica, NY,” said Holding. “This brand-new facility gives the players an incredible stage to showcase their skills.”
Holding, who also coaches the Royals, is one of over a dozen current or former NLL players who will be behind the benches at the championship. The California Collegiate Box Lacrosse League’s (CACBLL) Royals will also have NLL player Wes Berg and former Seals draft pick Reed Rezanka on their bench. During the season, Seals’ transition man Tre Leclaire also served as an assistant coach.
The Upstate Collegiate Box Lacrosse League (UCBLL) champion Hawkeyes’ coaching staff features the most current NLL players with three: Rochester Knighthawks Dan Coates, Ryland Rees and Thomas McConvey. The Hawkeyes’ coaching staff also includes Knighthawks’ equipment manager Brenden Dobbins. The UCBLL Buffaloes will be coached by Brandon Robinson and Dalton Sulver, members of the Buffalo Bandits, who have won back-to-back NLL titles.
EAST AURORA, NEW YORK – AUGUST 1: Hawkeyes v Rapids August 1, 2024 in East Aurora, New York. (Photo by Micheline Veluvolu)
“It’s been a fun summer getting to work with ‘Reeser,’ ‘TMac,’ and ‘Dobber’ and ultimately getting back to Utica,” said Coates, who has the Hawkeyes back at Nationals for the third straight year. “We’re very proud of the work the boys have put in so far, but we know there is still a lot to be done to achieve our ultimate goal.”
Former NLL player and USBOXLA co-founder Shaydon Santos coaches the San Jose team from the CACBLL. He is supported on the bench by Las Vegas Desert Dogs Amateur and Pro Scout Kevin Jenkins. Former NLL player Jamie Shewchuk and current Colorado Mammoth defenseman Warren Jeffrey coach the Colorado Collegiate Box Lacrosse League’s Red Hawks.
Isaiah Davis-Allen of the Philadelphia Wings is the Director of the Mid Atlantic Box Lacrosse League, which is sending its league champions, the Potomac Gaels, to the championship. The expansion Greater Philadelphia College Box Lacrosse League (GPCBLL) Kings have former Colorado Mammoth forward Curtis Smith as their head coach. They will make their NCBS Championship debut on August 7 when they battle the Buffaloes at 2:00 p.m.
About the NCBS The National Collegiate Box Series (NCBS) was established by the US Box Lacrosse Association (USBOXLA) in 2018. First formed in 2017, the Colorado Collegiate Box Lacrosse League (CCBLL) predates the formation of the NCBS, joining the series when it was officially launched a year later. In 2018, the Ohio Collegiate Box Lacrosse League (OCBLL) was established with teams based in Columbus and Cleveland. In 2019, the OCBLL’s Rivermen won the inaugural NCBS National Championship, beating the CCBLL’s Fighting Bison at the 2019 USBOXLA Nationals. In 2020, the NCBS welcomed the Upstate Collegiate Box Lacrosse League (UCBLL) and the Connecticut Collegiate Box Lacrosse League (CTCBLL) in a season that was ultimately canceled. The NCBS resumed in 2021 with the addition of the California Collegiate Box Lacrosse League (CACBLL). In 2021, the NCBS National Champions were the CACBLL Royals from San Diego. In 2022, the NCBS welcomed the Mid Atlantic Collegiate Box Lacrosse League (MACBLL). In both 2022 and 2023, the CACBLL Royals won the NCBS Championship. This year, the Greater Philadelphia College Box Lacrosse League (PCBLL) joined the NCBS family.
About the National Lacrosse League The National Lacrosse League (NLL) is North America’s largest professional lacrosse league and welcomed more than 1 million fans for the second year in a row during the 2023-24 season. Founded in 1986, the NLL is comprised of 15 franchises across the United States and Canada, and recently unveiled its largest brand campaign ever, “Welcome to The Next Major League™” and introduced its comprehensive grassroots initiative, NLL UnBOXed™, that will expand the League’s footprint to more than 60 communities across North America by 2027. For the latest scores and developments in the National Lacrosse League, please visit NLL.com and find the NLL on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok.
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“The NCBS has continued to grow each year, and we are excited to build on that growth this year,” said San Diego Seals’ defenseman and Director of NCBS Operations Cam Holding. “The players competing in this event are very athletic and play a very physical, fast-paced brand of the game. Every year this league is around, more current and former NLL players are coaching, and we are continuing to build the skill and IQ of American-born box players. The ceiling is very high for this group of players and this event.”
“We are proud to host the 2024 NCBS Championship at the Nexus Center in Utica, NY,” said Holding. “This brand-new facility gives the players an incredible stage to showcase their skills.”
