PROGRAM INFORMATION

COLORADO STATE LACROSSE

Family First

Located in Fort Collins, Colorado, 55 miles north of Denver in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Skiing, fishing, mountain biking and camping are all nearby. CSU includes eight colleges, broken down into 56 departments of more than 100 different academic programs. The campus is located in the heart of “Fort Fun.” Fort Collins is a college town. It is also a vibrant and growing Colorado community. Visit www.colosate.edu for more information on the University.

THE PLAYERS

The Rams’ roster in the 1999 season had 30 out of 35 members from the state of Colorado. Most players were from the greater Denver metropolitan area. The percentage of out-of-state players has increased dramatically since then. We have had players from Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, California, Washington, Illinois, Utah, Maryland and Tennessee to go along with the always-strong Colorado nucleus. We now expect that about one-third to one-half of our roster will be from out of state – a testament to the growth of the game and the Program’s profile as time has passed.

At CSU, our hallmark is “FAMILY.” The word Family means a lot to us, whether it pertains to how we play and interact on the field or to our connection with their Alumni and Parent groups off the field. We put a high importance on our group working as a family towards whatever our goal may be. For most of the team, friendships are forged that will last a lifetime and the team’s true value is seen in the relationships made. Winning is not secondary to this goal, but a natural extrapolation of playing and acting as a Family at all times.

THE COMPETITION

Colorado State University Men’s Lacrosse is a member of the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association and has taken home national titles in 1999, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2012, and 2013. Within the MCLA there are two divisions, nine conferences and almost 200 teams. The Rams compete in Division I of the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse Conference and has won RMLC championships in 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013. With multi-time MCLA champion Brigham Young, 2014 MCLA champions and in-state rival Colorado, along with several other ranked teams, the RMLC is one of the most competitive conferences in the country.

The MCLA has become a very competitive part of the college lacrosse landscape to compete in - and with six national titles, Colorado State holds the record.

COSTS

The players pay ONLY for their own costs for travel and equipment. Costs for a year can range, but a player can expect to pay approximately $3,000 throughout the course of a school year, including fall, spring and equipment. Packages and pre-payment discounts are offered and the team will never turn someone away simply because of finances.

The team does get sponsorship from lacrosse companies. Players and coaches will put on lacrosse clinics and teach lacrosse at local schools, which help raise capital for the organization. Activities like these can go to credit the player’s balance. Working the Ram Camp can earn players credit as well. We hope that parents and players do not see dues as anything more than an extension of the university experience and part of the cost of a CSU education.

THE UNIVERSITY'S COMMITMENT

Sport Clubs recognizes lacrosse as a major sport now, and supplies the team with whatever is possible. Questions and comments can be directed to CSU’s Sport Clubs department at (970) 491-2116.

DONATIONS & FUNDRAISING

The CSU Men’s Lacrosse Ram Camp, held annually in July at Colorado State, has become a large and important fundraiser for CSU lacrosse in the last eight years. The camp is staffed largely by CSU players and Alumni.

The CSU Alumni Association raised and funded a CSU Lacrosse Endowment which contributes to the team’s yearly operations budget. The CSULAA has also created the “Rocky Mountain Showdown”, the annual game between MCLA powers CU and CSU. This exciting and important game has been held both at neutral sites such as Mile High Stadium in Denver, as well as Folsom Field in Boulder, Hughes Stadium in Fort Collins and other large venues in the area. In 2008, the Showdown was held at Mile High Stadium for the fourth straight season and was attended by nearly 5,000 fans, making it the highest attended game in MCLA history. Building a partnership with the MLL’s Denver Outlaws has been a great way for the program to raise visibility and funds.

Parking cars at athletic events, an annual CSU lacrosse schedule/poster and selling team apparel are just some of the other fundraising endeavors that the team takes on to generate cash flow for the program, as well as to help individual players fulfill their financial responsibilities. While the team has some support from the school, outside donations are crucial to keep the program running. High travel costs make fundraising a must for the team as the annual overall team expenses have grown to approximately $200,000.00 — much more than the university allocates for men’s lacrosse. Tax-free donations are accepted and encouraged through the CSULAA

PROGRAM HISTORY

Founded in 1969, the Colorado State University men’s lacrosse team has grown up considerably in the past 15 years. Since 1999, CSU has won six national titles, the most in MCLA history. With nine RMLC titles, the Rams have been traditionally one of the strongest teams in the entire country and have fielded some of the best players to take the field in the MCLA. In 2008, the Program established a Hall of Fame. The CSU Men’s Lacrosse Hall of Fame honors 31 of the Program’s greatest Rams.

The Hall of Fame began with five charter members. In 2010, five more members were inducted followed by a three person class in 2011, four members in 2012, four members in 2013, four members in 2014, four more in 2015 and two members in 2016. The Men’s Lacrosse team hosts an annual Hall of Fame Game in the spring to honor that year’s inductees.