via MCLA press release – photo by Bob White

BYU the Favorite in D-I Preseason Poll

ATLANTA – Entering the season with the second-most titles in MCLA history, Brigham Young has been voted the favorite in the 2022 New Balance Division I Coaches Poll, which was released on Wednesday.

The Cougars, who took home the eight-team “MCLA Invitational” last spring, grabbed 18 of the 25 total first-place votes cast in the poll, pushing them well clear of the second-place squad. BYU will open the season on Feb. 10 at Boise State.

Georgia Tech sits in the second chair brandishing a pair of first-place votes. No 3 Chapman also touts two top rankings, keeping them ahead of fourth-ranked Liberty.

California was just three points back of Liberty, sporting two first-place votes. Cal’s Western Collegiate Lacrosse League (WCLL) rival Cal Poly was slotted sixth.

Defending national champion South Carolina sits at No. 7 while Colorado, Clemson and New Hampshire round out the Top 10.

The Southwestern Lacrosse Conference (SLC) led the way with five ranked squads followed by the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse Conference (RMLC) and SouthEastern Lacrosse Conference (SELC) with four teams. The WCLL, Atlantic Lacrosse Conference (ALC) and Continental Lacrosse Conference (CLC) had three selections each. The Upper Midwest Lacrosse Conference (UMLC) had two selections while the Pacific Northwest Collegiate Lacrosse League (PNCLL) had one.

2022 New Balance MCLA Preseason Division I Poll

Others receiving votes: Dominican (77), Arizona State (74), Texas A&M (52), Georgia (46), Southern Methodist (37), Buffalo (33), Washington (30), Texas (24), NC State (22), Auburn (20), Purdue (14), Texas Christian (13), Central Florida (11), LSU (9), Washington State (7), Indiana (5), San Diego State (5), Simon Fraser (5), UC Santa Barbara (5), Oregon State (4), Stanford (4), Western Michigan (3), Northeastern (2).