NAIA lacrosse#Men's NIT

File:NAIA men's lacrosse map.png

{{Infobox sports league

| title = Men's lacrosse

| inaugural = 2016 (invitational sport), 2024 (championship sport)

| teams = 32

| champion = Keiser Seahawks (2)

| most successful club = Reinhardt Eagles (5)

| website = [https://www.naia.org/sports/mlax/index NAIA.org]

}}

{{Infobox sports league

| title = Women's lacrosse

| inaugural = 2016 (invitational sport), 2021 (championship sport)

| teams = 38

| champion = Lawrence Tech Blue Devils (1)

| most successful club = Savannah College of Art and Design Bees (3 NIT)

| website = [https://www.naia.org/sports/wlax/index NAIA.org]

}}

There are numerous men's and women's college lacrosse teams at schools that are members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), which is an alternate varsity athletic organization to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

The Wolverine–Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) was the first NAIA lacrosse conference to offer a championship for both men and women.{{cite web |url=http://www.whac.net/article/2090.php |title=WHAC Adds Two Conference Sports for 2012-13|publisher=WHAC |date=January 27, 2012|access-date=November 7, 2017}}

During the summer of 2015, the NAIA approved men's and women's lacrosse to move from emerging sport status to national invitational. This move allows NAIA varsity teams to compete within the NAIA rather than an outside organization. The first NAIA National Invitational Tournament (NIT) was held in May 2016 in Greenville, South Carolina. Lacrosse is required to remain an invitational sport for a minimum of two years before applying for full championship status. Women's lacrosse moved to championship status beginning in the 2020–21 season. The inaugural NAIA women's lacrosse championship was held in Savannah, Georgia, in May 2021. Men's lacrosse was also elevated to championship status in 2024–25.

Men's programs

=[[Appalachian Athletic Conference]]=

class="wikitable"

!Institution

!Nickname

!Location

!Enrollment

University of the Cumberlands

|Patriots

|Williamsburg, Kentucky

|1,743

Keiser University

|Seahwaks

|West Palm Beach, Florida

|19,510

|Running Eagles

|718

|Montreat, North Carolina

|1,145

|1,035

|1,057

Savannah College of Art and Design

|Bees

|Savannah, Georgia

|2,500+

Tennessee Wesleyan University

|Bulldogs

|Athens, Tennessee

|1,100

Webber International University

|Warriors

|Babson Park, Florida

|800

=[[Heart of America Athletic Conference]]=

class="wikitable"

!Institution

!Nickname

!Location

!Enrollment

|2,200

|Pride

|1,100

|Cougars

|6,765

Warriors

|1,395

Missouri Baptist University

|Spartans

|Creve Coeur, Missouri

|2,800

Missouri Valley College

|Vikings

|Marshall, Missouri

|1,800

Mount Vernon Nazarene University

|Cougars

|2,222

|725

St. Ambrose University

|Bees

|Davenport, Iowa

|3,402

William Penn University

|Statesmen

|Oskaloosa, Iowa

|1,050

William Woods University

|Owls

|Fulton, Missouri

|2,300

=[[Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference]]=

class="wikitable"

!Institution

!Nickname

!Location

!Enrollment

Aquinas College

|Saints

|Grand Rapids, Michigan

|2,300

Concordia University Ann Arbor

|Cardinals

|Ann Arbor, Michigan

|1,200

Indiana Institute of Technology

|Warriors

|Fort Wayne, Indiana

|7,000

Lawrence Technological University

|Blue Devils

|Southfield, Michigan

|3,000

Madonna University

|Crusaders

|Livonia, Michigan

|3,139

Siena Heights University

|Saints

|Adrian, Michigan

|2,307

Taylor University

|Trojans

|Upland, Indiana

|1,887

University of Michigan-Dearborn

|Wolverines

|Dearborn, Michigan

|9,500

=Club teams=

class="wikitable"

!Institution

!Nickname

!Location

!Enrollment

Arizona Christian University

|Firestorm

|Glendale, Arizona

|1,001

Biola University

|Eagles

|La Mirada, California

|3,924

College of Idaho

|Coyotes

|Caldwell, Idaho

|1,000

=Independent=

class="wikitable"

!Institution

!Nickname

!Location

!Enrollment

St. Andrews University

|Knights

|Laurinburg, North Carolina

|736

Women's programs

=[[Appalachian Athletic Conference]]=

class="wikitable"

!Institution

!Nickname

!Location

!Enrollment

University of the Cumberlands

|Patriots

|Williamsburg, Kentucky

|1,743

Georgetown College

|Tigers

|Georgetown, Kentucky

|1,400

Montreat College

|Cavaliers

|Montreat, North Carolina

|1,145

Reinhardt University

|Eagles

|Waleska, Georgia

|1,057

Tennessee Wesleyan University

|Bulldogs

|Athens, Tennessee

|1,100

Truett McConnell University

|Bears

|Cleveland, Georgia

|1,000

=[[Heart of America Athletic Conference]]=

class="wikitable"

!Institution

!Nickname

!Location

!Enrollment

Benedictine College

|Ravens

|Atchison, Kansas

|2,200

Culver-Stockton College

|Wildcats

|Canton, Missouri

|1,066

Midland University

|Warriors

|Fremont, Nebraska

|1,395

Missouri Baptist University

|Spartans

|St. Louis, Missouri

|2,800

Missouri Valley College

|Vikings

|Marshall, Missouri

|1,800

Mount Mercy University

|Mustangs

|Cedar Rapids, Iowa

|1,280

Ottawa University

|Braves

|Ottawa, Kansas

|725

St. Ambrose University

|Fighting Bees

|Davenport, Iowa

|3,402

UHSP

|Eutectics

|St. Louis, Missouri

|698

=[[Sun Conference]]=

class="wikitable"

!Institution

!Nickname

!Location

!Enrollment

|1,080

|West Palm Beach, Florida

|19,510

Life University

|Running Eagles

|Marietta, Georgia

|2,000

New College of Florida

|Mighty Banyans

|Sarasota, Florida

|669

Savannah College of Art and Design

|Bees

|Savannah, Georgia

|2,500+

St. Thomas University

|Bobcats

|Miami Gardens, Florida

|3,650

Warner University

|Royals

|Lake Wales, Florida

|1,200

Webber International University

|Warriors

|Babson Park, Florida

|800

=[[Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference]]=

class="wikitable"

!Institution

!Nickname

!Location

!Enrollment

Aquinas College

|Saints

|Grand Rapids, Michigan

|2,100

Bethel University

|Pilots

|Mishawaka, Indiana

|1,964

Indiana Institute of Technology

|Warriors

|Fort Wayne, Indiana

|3,500

Lawrence Technological University

|Blue Devils

|Southfield, Michigan

|4,000

|Crusaders

|3,139

|Indianapolis, Indiana

|3,595

Rochester Christian University

|Warriors

|Rochester Hills, Michigan

|1,153

Siena Heights University

|Saints

|Adrian, Michigan

|2,307

=Independent=

class="wikitable"

!Institution

!Nickname

!Location

!Enrollment

Eastern Oregon University

|Mountaineers

|La Grande, Oregon

|3,488

NAIA National Invitational Tournament (NIT) & National Championship Results

=Men's NIT=

Year	Championship Team	Score	Runner-up Team	Arena	Location
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
2016	Davenport	13–10{{cite news \|author=Staff \|title=Davenport Wins Inaugural Men's Lacrosse Invitational Title \|url=https://www.naia.org/sports/mlax/2015-16/releases/201605078v8rb \|website=NAIA \|date=May 7, 2016 \|access-date=February 25, 2020}}	Missouri Valley	rowspan="2" \| Sirrine Stadium	rowspan="2" \| Greenville, South Carolina
2017	Reinhardt	10–5{{cite news \|last=Chasanoff \|first=Tommy \|title=Reinhardt Wins National Invitational Title \|url=https://www.naia.org/sports/mlax/2016-17/releases/20170506xidoo \|website=NAIA \|date=May 6, 2017 \|access-date=February 25, 2020}}	Keiser
2018	Reinhardt	8–7 (OT){{cite news \|last=Green \|first=Katie \|title=Reinhardt (Ga.) Wins Second-Straight Lacrosse Invitational Title \|url=https://www.naia.org/sports/mlax/2017-18/releases/20180512sut8o \|website=NAIA \|date=May 12, 2018 \|access-date=February 25, 2020}}	Madonna	rowspan="2" \| Aquinas Athletic Field	rowspan="2" \| Grand Rapids, Michigan
2019	Reinhardt	11–4{{cite news \|author=Staff \|title=2019 Invitational Championship Game Recap \|url=https://www.naia.org/sports/mlax/2018-19/releases/20190512lfet9 \|website=NAIA \|date=May 12, 2019 \|access-date=February 25, 2020}}	Aquinas (MI)
2020	colspan=3\|Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic	rowspan="2" \| Memorial Stadium	rowspan="2" \| Savannah, Georgia
2021	Reinhardt	17–8{{cite news \|author=Staff \|title=Reinhardt Captures Fourth Straight NAIA Men’s Lacrosse Invitational \|url=https://www.naia.org/sports/mlax/2020-21/releases/Final \|website=NAIA \|date=May 8, 2021 \|access-date=December 18, 2021}}	Indiana Tech
2022	Reinhardt	11-5{{cite news \|author=Staff \|title=Recap of the 2022 Men's Lacrosse Invitational Final \|url=https://www.naia.org/sports/mlax/2021-22/Releases/Championship \|website=NAIA \| date=May 14, 2022 \|access-date=May 24, 2022}}	Indiana Tech	rowspan="2" \| Ashton Brosnaham Stadium	rowspan="2" \| Pensacola, Florida
2023	Keiser	15-8{{cite news \|author=Staff \|title=Recap of the 2023 NAIA Men's Lacrosse Invitational Final and All-Tournament Team \|url=https://www.naia.org/sports/mlax/2022-23/Releases/Final \|website=NAIA \|date=May 13, 2023 \|access-date=May 24, 2023}}	Indiana Tech
2024	Keiser	12-11{{cite news \|title=Keiser (Fla.) Repeats as NAIA Invitational Champions with 12-11 Victory \|url=https://www.naia.org/sports/mlax/2023-24/Releases/Championship_Recap \|website=NAIA \|date=May 11, 2024}}	Reinhardt	Memorial Stadium	Savannah, Georgia

==List of NIT Champions==

School	Championships	Winning Years	Runner-Up	Runner-Up Years
class="wikitable sortable"
Reinhardt	5	2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022	1	2024
Keiser	2	2023, 2024	1	2017
Davenport	1	2016
Indiana Tech			3	2021, 2022, 2023
Missouri Valley			1	2016
Madonna			1	2018
Aquinas (MI)			1	2019

=Women's NIT (2016-2019)=

Year	Championship Team	Score	Runner-up Team	Arena	Location
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
2016	Davenport	13–9{{cite news \|author=Staff \|title=Davenport Wins Inaugural Women's Lacrosse Invitational Title \|url=https://www.naia.org/sports/wlax/2015-16/releases/20160507e9hrw \|website=NAIA \|date=May 7, 2016 \|access-date=February 25, 2020}}	Georgetown (KY)	rowspan="2" \| Sirrine Stadium	rowspan="2" \| Greenville, South Carolina
2017	Savannah College of Art and Design	16–10{{cite news \|last=Chasanoff \|first=Tommy \|title=SCAD Savannah Wins Invitational Title \|url=https://www.naia.org/sports/wlax/2016-17/releases/20170506lucqr \|website=NAIA \|date=May 6, 2017 \|access-date=February 25, 2020}}	Lawrence Tech
2018	Savannah College of Art and Design	18–11{{cite web \|title=Lacrosse Box Score (Final) 2018 SCAD Savannah (Ga.) Women's Lacrosse Statistics Indiana Tech vs SCAD Savannah (Ga.) (May 12, 2018 at Grand Rapids, MI.) \|url=https://www.naia.org/sports/wlax/2017-18/Files/SCAD_INT.html \|website=NAIA \|access-date=February 25, 2020}}	Indiana Tech	rowspan="2" \| Aquinas Athletic Field	rowspan="2" \| Grand Rapids, Michigan
2019	Savannah College of Art and Design	18–12{{cite web \|title=SCAD Savannah (Ga.) vs. Benedictine (Kan.) 5/11/2019 \|url=https://www.naia.org/sports/wlax/2018-19/files/SCAD_BC.html \|website=NAIA \|access-date=February 25, 2020}}	Benedictine (KS)

==List of NIT champions==

School	Championships	Winning Years	Runner-Up	Runner-Up Years
class="wikitable sortable"
Savannah College of Art and Design	3*	2017, 2018, 2019
Davenport	1*	2016
Benedictine (KS)			1	2019
Lawrence Tech			1	2017
Georgetown (KY)			1	2016
Indiana Tech			1	2018

References

Lacrosse

Category:College lacrosse in the United States

NAIA lacrosse#Men's NIT

Men's programs

=[[Appalachian Athletic Conference]]=

=[[Heart of America Athletic Conference]]=

=[[Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference]]=

=Club teams=

=Independent=

Women's programs

=[[Appalachian Athletic Conference]]=

=[[Heart of America Athletic Conference]]=

=[[Sun Conference]]=

=[[Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference]]=

=Independent=

NAIA National Invitational Tournament (NIT) & National Championship Results

=Men's NIT=

==List of NIT Champions==

=Women's NIT (2016-2019)=

==List of NIT champions==

See also

References