The men’s lacrosse club team is the newest member of the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association’s SouthEastern Lacrosse Conference’s Division I- Northwest, becoming the first team in the D.C./Baltimore area to earn admission.

The Colonials’ in-conference rivals will include Virginia Tech, Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia and, for one year, fellow A-10 institution Richmond.

Head coach Joe Opron said in a release that the program’s biggest selling point was its location, a valuable opportunity of expansion for the MCLA. GW also emphasized its facilities, administrative support, student-athletes and competitive history in its bid.

“Being admitted into the MCLA and the SELC is a huge step forward in the development of our young, but flourishing program. Having been an MCLA D-I player myself, I know what it takes for a team to succeed in this league, and I’m confident that the group of men we have on campus is up to the task,” Opron said. “This is an exciting time to be a Colonial.”

MCLA is the highest-profile national organization of non-NCAA college lacrosse programs. It’s made up of over 200 teams in ten separate conferences, and functions much like the NCAA, with a governing structure that encompasses similar eligibility rules as well as All-American honors and conference and national tournaments.