Colorado State Lacrosse
Instagram Youtube Huge-meta X-twitter

Drop in.

If you’re ready to compete, we’re ready to put you to the test.

Recruit Form

Hold Down the Fort

We’d love to hear about an athlete you believe can thrive in our program.

Recommend a Recruit

Prospect Weekend

Use the link below to view information about Prospect Weekend and to sign up. If you don’t see information for 2026, then registration isn’t open yet this year.

CSU Prospect Weekend: Oct. 4th

You are invited to join us for our Prospect Weekend on Saturday,...

Recruiting Questions

Thank you for considering Colorado State University men’s lacrosse. Choosing where to go to college is a huge decision! Below are some of our general recruiting guidelines and philosophies. If you are interested in being added to our official recruits list, you can fill out a recruit form.

It’s important to note that we do not have direct influence with the Admissions office to get you into CSU – you must do that on your own merits. However, we can be as helpful as possible during the process to make sure you’re doing everything you need to do.

Recruiting Philosophy

At CSU men’s lacrosse, our philosophy in the recruiting process is to be “informative and evaluative.”  This means that we want to inform prospects about our program and university and evaluate them as best we can so they can make an intelligent decision about where they are going to spend their college years.

There are several aspects to being a student-athlete and we believe that students who are interested in playing lacrosse here at Colorado State University should understand what the university has to offer academically, socially, and athletically.  We want people who really want to be a part of our program.

We don’t typically “cold-call” athletes because we believe our program and philosophies will attract the types of people we want to focus on.  However, we do our best to maintain solid relationships with prospects who fit both what we are trying to do on the field and what our university is looking for.

The best way for us to evaluate your potential as a lacrosse player is through film.  If you’d like our staff to evaluate your skills, please compile a short highlight film, post online and send us the link in your recruiting form.  We do our best to respond to every inquiry and hope to be able to provide some insight about what your career at CSU might look like as a player if you chose to come to the university.

We do attend certain recruiting events in the fall and summer – typically Colorado and West Coast events, so please contact the coaching staff to find out if we are going to be at an event near you!

After we have your recruiting information, we will primarily contact you through email to inform you of our events and shepherd you through the decision-making process.

We typically host our official Prospect Weekend every fall where we match prospects with hosts on the team and they shadow them for a weekend.  The event concludes with a recruits showcase where the coaching staff can evaluate your abilities and give you feedback on how you might fit in.

We also welcome and encourage prospects to schedule a visit to CSU at any time for an official campus tour with the Admissions office by visiting admissions.colostate.edu.  We are happy to pair you up with a player-host for a night so you can get a sense of what we are all about.

Our policy is that we do not make cuts, but we do not make promises either.  Anyone can be a part of the team, but it is a significant commitment.  We have mandatory study halls, workouts, and practices to be a part of the program.  We also work around student schedules as best we can, but student-athletes should be able to make lacrosse a large priority if they are going to be a part of the program.

We don’t make promises to players either – meaning that we do not hold roster spots or promise prospects anything during the recruiting process.  Again, we believe that the right people will matriculate through the recruiting process and our goal is to be non-pressure throughout.

The fall season is primarily dedicated to establishing the culture and members of the program.  As we said, we do not make cuts, but we do ask all incoming freshmen, transfers, new players, and returning redshirts to participate in our Evaluation Week during our first week of lacrosse activities.  During Evaluation Week, we do our best to take a look at every player and let them know where they might fit on the team.

There are three general categories of players during evaluation:

  1. You are going to play and you are going to make a big difference in what we do.  We really want you to play.

  2. Not sure exactly what your role will be, but you can be an effective player for us over your career.

  3.  It’s going to be very difficult for you to play at this competitive level.  You are welcome to try, but it’s going to be tough.

​​

After Evaluation Week, we bring the rest of the returning players into the fold and begin our fall season.  By the end of the fall and into the winter, we have pretty well established the type of team we are going to be and who is going to be on the roster.

Even though we don’t make cuts, our roster is typically right around 45 active players in the spring and anywhere between 5-10 redshirts each year.  In the fall, we do have quite a large turnout for evaluations – sometimes as many as 25-30 between incoming freshmen, transfers and returning redshirts.

It does cost money to play lacrosse at CSU. Most of our sizable budget is made up of player dues, though we do significant fundraising projects throughout the year. Active players typically are responsible for anywhere between $3,250 and $3,500 depending on the season, and redshirts pay about half that amount.  We have payment plans and work with players because we understand the financial commitment. Another way players can reduce dues is by “working” for the team as Team Officers or during special fundraising projects on their own time.

You can redshirt here at CSU. Redshirting means being a part of the program in a big way by attending practices, acting as gameday staff and helping out as best you can. Redshirts pay a reduced set of dues, but get most of the gear that the active players receive (outside of game jerseys). They do everything the rest of the team does except for dress out for games.

We typically recommend redshirting for anyone in the following categories:

  • Injured in the fall or early spring and will be unable to compete in the spring

  • Going to be at CSU for five years for your degree

  • Need to focus on academics/personal issues but still want to be part of the team

  • Not quite up to speed as a player and needs time to develop

  • Looking to save some money while doing any of the above

Valuable information regarding admissions information and finances can be found online at admissions.colostate.edu. Please visit the website to get the most up to date and current information about Colorado State University.

About Colorado State University

About the University

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.colostate.edu for more information on the University.

Our campus offers endless opportunities to eat, sleep and play, but the real value isn’t in the sunny open spaces or newly renovated facilities. It’s in the strong sense of community that develops when our students live together, work together, create together, and ground themselves in CSU tradition.

You can find out more on the CSU University Website

The Program

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.

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 New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont, Georgia, Florida, Texas, California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Texas, South Dakota, Minnesota, and more 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.

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.

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.

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.

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 Inquiries

alumni@csulacrosse.com

Media Information

media@csulacrosse.com

Coach MacDonald

ryan@csulacrosse.com

Player Dues

The Program accepts dues via PayPal or Venmo. There is a 3.3% fee when paying online due to the use of PayPal. Please contact the Team Treasurer should you need to make alternative payment arrangements.

We also remind you that all base dues payments are nonrefundable with the following exception: if CSU Lacrosse is not permitted to have spring activities, a partial refund will be given.

Pay with PayPal

alumni@csulacrosse.com

Pay with Venmo

@CSULacrosse

Code of Conduct

Mandatory for all players (new & returning).

Read, understand and sign the CSU Men’s Lacrosse Code of Conduct.

Player Code Of Conduct

Student-athletes participating in CSU Men’s Lacrosse represent Colorado State University (CSU), Campus Recreation, and the Sport Clubs Office. These organizations dedicate themselves to the tradition of proper conduct and expect the same from the athletes, their representatives, and ambassadors.

Any breach of this Code of Conduct & Responsibilities document will be forwarded to the appropriate disciplinary committee for review and action (Men’s Lacrosse Student Leadership, Campus Recreation Administration, Sport Clubs Administration, ASCSU, All University Hearing Board, Conflict Resolution and Student Conduct Services, etc.).

As a Member of the CSU Men’s Lacrosse Program, I understand that:

My actions represent CSU, Campus Recreation, and the Sport Clubs office. I will practice good sportsmanship at all practices, scrimmages, and games. I will conduct myself to maintain the highest principles, integrity, and dignity of CSU, Sport Clubs, and men’s lacrosse.

Participation in CSU Men’s Lacrosse is an opportunity, a privilege, not a right. I will always adhere to the rules established by Colorado State University, Campus Recreation, and the Sport Clubs Office.

I will not physically, mentally, or psychologically haze anyone as I respect the dignity of all persons.

All practices, games, trips, and club activities are DRY EVENTS. The presence and consumption of alcohol or illegal substances are strictly prohibited. I will neither use nor support the use of illegal drugs or alcohol at any club function.

Possession or consumption of alcohol is strictly prohibited in university-approved vehicles and at any time during travel pertaining to the travel dates. I understand that a trip begins when I leave my home and continues until I return home.

I will ensure that practice, scrimmage, and game sites are trash-free after use and that equipment is returned to its original set-up. I understand that this responsibility applies to all club members. I will leave it better than I found it.

I respect the authority of all game officials. At no time is it appropriate to demonstrably question the decisions and actions of game officials.

My actions or those of the team will never deliberately jeopardize the safety and well-being of opponents, teammates, officials, or spectators.

The perception of a gathering of lacrosse players can be potentially construed as a “lacrosse party,” which is against university guidelines. Team members may follow university and City of Fort Collins rules and protocols for hosting gatherings at their residence, but are subject to disciplinary guidelines as necessary.

I am responsible for attending all sanctioned team events, including fundraising, alumni relations, recruiting events, study halls, practices, games, film studies, workouts, and other activities.

I am responsible for following all federal, state, city, and university laws and policies. Breaking any law will directly affect my ability to be a member of the CSU men’s lacrosse program.

I understand the team does not allow players to participate in team activities who have been charged with or are suspected of committing a crime related to domestic violence or gun violence.

If I become aware that either of these incidents occurs. In that case, I am responsible for disclosing this information to the Head Coach within 48 hours of the incident or before participating in any team activities (including but not limited to games, scrimmages, practices, workouts, meals, etc.) whichever occurs first.

I must follow university procedures for injury and concussion protocol, including, but not limited to, obtaining a baseline concussion test prior to competition.

I must report any signs or symptoms of a concussion to our club’s safety officer(s) or coaches when they first appear.

I will return to play from a concussion when cleared by the CSU athletic trainer.

I will adhere to the terms of any equipment contract/agreement that requires each member to wear the appropriate equipment and apparel to each game and on trips. The specifics of what we are all wearing will be defined prior to each regular-season game and trip.

As a member of the CSU men’s lacrosse team, I also understand the following rules regarding dues and travel:

Dues

Dues Basics

Dues for rostered (active) players have two major components:  1) base dues and 2) travel dues.

Dues are calculated based on various factors, including roster size, travel schedule, equipment costs, facility costs, etc. The team is a non-profit program; program funds can only be used to pay for expenses the team has or will incur.

Generally, there are no refunds for any circumstances whatsoever, including, but not limited to:

Injuries, non-compliance, non-participation, and/or dismissal from the team.

Dues payments are to BE A MEMBER OF THE TEAM, not to receive any material goods.

There is a limited 35-40 man travel roster for each team trip via airplane.

There is the potential for a limited roster for each bus trip the team takes, subject to the size of the bus/van/etc., but every effort will be made to include all players to the bus with the team. Please note: this does not include the MCLA National Tournament; due to the unknown length of time and yearly change in location, the program evaluates the National’s travel roster year-to-year basis.

Paying dues does not guarantee playing time or making the travel squad for each trip.

The coaching staff will do everything possible to ensure that each active player makes at least one trip per year, but there can be no guarantees regarding playing time or making a travel roster.

Dues Amount and Payment Schedule

The final/total dues amount depends on this season’s total roster size, equipment, and other operational costs. Redshirt dues are anticipated to be less than estimated, but this cannot be guaranteed.

Base Dues: Rostered (active) players will all owe base dues, which will be $3,000 (estimated) to participate this season. The final amount depends on total roster size, equipment, transportation, and other operational costs for this season. It is anticipated that the base due will be less than estimated, but this cannot be guaranteed. 

Travel Dues: Rostered (active) players must travel dues, which will be $1,000 (estimated) to participate this season. Players will be responsible to pre-pay travel dues approximately 60 days in advance of the team’s departure to be considered eligible to be selected for the travel roster.

The travel roster will be announced approximately two weeks before the team’s departure. Your travel dues will be returned if you are not selected for the travel roster. Travel dues estimates are subject to change based on final travel costs; it is anticipated that travel due will be less than estimated but cannot be guaranteed. 

For Example the team may take two plane trips and one bus trip in a season

Trip #1 (via Plane) = $350 (estimated)

Trip #2 (via Plane) = $350 (estimated)

Trip #3 (via Bus) = $150 (estimated)

Conference Tournament (via Bus) =  Included with base dues

National Championship  Tournament (via Plane) = $400 (estimated) & due date: 3/10

Redshirts

Redshirt players will owe  $2,500 (estimated) for participation. Redshirts are expected to attend every practice and be on the sidelines for local games (in the immediate area surrounding CSU). Redshirts can compete in fall events and scrimmages but not MCLA-sanctioned games.

Redshirts will receive an appropriate team gear package.

There are redshirt staff/manager positions available in the spring. Should a player decide to redshirt after full dues are collected, the coaching staff and student leadership will evaluate each situation on a case-by-case basis regarding “dues credit.”

Promissory Notes

“Prior arrangements” means the player will be required to sign a Promissory Note to ratify their commitment to paying dues. The note lists the specific dates your payment will be made to the CSU Men’s Lacrosse team. This option is designed to assist those with unusual circumstances or other hardships; it is not intended as a “payment plan” for most rostered players.

Delinquent Dues

Failure to pay dues on time or without “prior arrangements” will result in the inability to receive gear and reduced practice/play time.

Players who are delinquent on their past dues/promissory notes – are not eligible to participate in on-field team activities. 

Dues Collection Methods:  

Preferred method: direct payment to team treasurer via venmo @csulacrosse (or other acceptable direct electronic payment)

Secondary method: PayPal via Player Dues Tab

Note that using this method will add an additional 2.9% processing fee to dues.

Third method: Payment to team treasurer via check

Sponsorship 

Fundraising and Sponsorships—Players may raise money to alleviate dues costs, but it is their responsibility to acquire these sponsorships in accordance with CSU Sport Club and lacrosse program procedures. 

Personal Sponsorships affect only individual players. They may be taken directly off that player’s dues, but the sponsor does not receive any compensation for their donation. Personal Sponsorships can be made directly to a player from a company/person and are not tax deductible.

Team Sponsorships are reciprocal relationships between the team and sponsors, for which the sponsor receives a return on their donation. Revenues from Team Sponsorships are split evenly between the player and the team. We have a Team Sponsorship program available to every player, and they are tax deductible.

Academics

Academic Standards — Players are students, and athletes are subject to certain CSU Lacrosse and MCLA academic requirements.

Credit Hours—All players must be enrolled in at least 12 credit hours to participate in sanctioned games or scrimmages (unless the player is graduating in the current semester).

GPA—All players must have a 2.25 GPA or higher to be allowed to participate in sanctioned games and scrimmages.

Failing a class—If a player is failing one or more courses, they will not be allowed to participate in sanctioned games and scrimmages until their grade or grades are brought up to passing standards.

Activity participation—If players are not meeting academic requirements, they will still be allowed to participate in non-competition team activities (practices, workouts, meals, etc.).

Study Hall — All freshmen are required to attend study hall, which will be held every Wednesday. It will be mandatory for all other players that have a 2.8 or lower GPA. If you are not a freshman and have a 2.8 or higher GPA, you will only be required to come every other Monday to meet with your mentor and check in on grades. During Study Hall, players must show their mentor at least one assignment submission. Study hall is crucial to our success because we are all student-athletes, so we put education first, and we aspire to maintain a high cumulative team GPA. 

SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY

I understand that being a part of this team means a certain level of increased exposure when it comes to social media. I am responsible for what I post on social media and will, to the best of my abilities, represent myself, my program, and my university in a way commensurate with that exposure. Never will I willingly or unwillingly allow posts of or by myself or my friends to in any way jeopardize the lacrosse program, my teammates, or my university.

This includes but is not limited to, inappropriate posts regarding alcohol, posts of a lewd sexual nature, “trash talking” other teams or universities, sensitive team or individual information, any illegal activities, “tagged” posts or videos by people outside the program, or any other reasonably offensive posts that could negatively affect our program.

By submitting my player information online and e-signing this form – I agree to have fully read and understand the contents of this policy. I understand the expectations set forth by this policy and will uphold said expectations at all times during my role as a member of CSU Men’s Lacrosse. Failure to do so may directly affect my ability to participate as a member of the program.