(Utica, New York July 20, 2023)-  The US Box Lacrosse Association (USBOXLA) and The National Lacrosse League (@NLL), the largest and most successful professional lacrosse property in the world, today announced a partnership today to present the 2023 National Collegiate Box Series (NCBC) National Championship.

"The NLL is excited to partner with USBOXLA during the NCBS Championship," said EVP of Lacrosse Operations, Brian Lemon. "Showcasing the American players in this tournament allows us to collectively grow the reach and relevance of box lacrosse from youth through the college level."

“We are very proud to continue our support of the NCBS” said San Diego Seals President of Lacrosse Operations, Steve Govett. “Our continued commitment to develop U.S. Born Players is paramount and the NCBS represents the premier box lacrosse platform for college aged players in the United States.”

The four-day event will take place from August 13-16 at the 1,200-seat Utica Nexus Center in Utica, NY. Now in its fourth year, the NCBS National Championships will have its largest field ever, with teams competing from San Diego, San Jose, Columbus, Denver, Buffalo, Rochester, Connecticut and the DC Area.

All games will be streamed online via the NLL YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/NLL/videos) and live scored and appear on NCBS.tv. The NCBS National Championships will be played at the The Utica University Nexus Center which is also hosting the 2024 World Lacrosse Box Championships as well as the youth USBOXLA Border Wars presented by the Toronto Rock.The Royals (San Diego) enter the event as the two-time defending NCBS National Champions. The Ohio Rivermen captured the inaugural event in 2019. The event will be supported by the San Diego Seals of the National Lacrosse League.

The tournament format will be guaranteed three pool play games, followed by a semifinal and championship game. The NCBS is working directly with the NLL who will be assisting with officials and promotion of the event. The NLL will also be working with their own teams to have NLL coaches and general managers on-site for the event in preparation for the 2023 NLL Entry Draft.

The NCBS has been a launching pad for players wanting to improve their box skills and play in the National Lacrosse League. In last year’s NLL Entry Draft, eight players with NCBS ties were selected. During the 2022-23 season, five former NCBS players competed in the NLL: Jack Hannah (Las Vegas), Mac O’Keefe (San Diego), Trevor Baptiste (Philadelphia), Jake Govett (San Diego) and Hunter Lemieux (Philadelphia).

“We see this large tournament format as a way to increase participation from elite NCAA players looking to hone their skills and also showcase them in front of NLL coaches and GMs right before the NLL draft. This is a true stepping stone for the American youth player to continue to play high level box lacrosse through college and into the National Lacrosse League,” said USBOXLA co-founder and Shaydon Santos.

Ticket and Tournament Information - Hotel, venue and ticket information. Full event passess and day passes may be purchased here https://www.usboxla.com/ncbs2023

About the NCBS

The National Collegiate Box Series (NCBS) was established by the US Box Lacrosse Association (USBOXLA) in 2018. First formed in 2017, the Colorado Collegiate Box Lacrosse League (CCBLL) predates the formation of the NCBS, joining the series when it was officially launched a year later. In 2018, the Ohio Collegiate Box Lacrosse League (OCBLL) was established with teams based in Columbus and Cleveland. In 2019, the OCBLL's Rivermen won the inaugural NCBS National Championship beating the CCBLL's Fighting Bison at the 2019 USBOXLA Nationals. In 2021, the Upstate Collegiate Box Lacrosse League (UCBLL), Connecticut Collegiate Box Lacrosse League (CTCBLL), and California Collegiate Box Lacrosse League (CACBLL) played their inaugural seasons. The 2021 NCBS National Champions were the CACBLL Royals. In 2022, the NCBS added the Mid Atlantic Collegiate Box League League (MACBLL) and the CACBLL Royals won their second consecutive NCBS National Championship.

About the National Lacrosse League

The National Lacrosse League (NLL) is North America's premier professional lacrosse league. Founded in 1986, the NLL ranks third in average attendance for pro indoor sports worldwide, behind only the NHL and NBA. The League is comprised of 15 franchises across the United States and Canada: Albany FireWolves, Buffalo Bandits, Calgary Roughnecks, Colorado Mammoth, Georgia Swarm, Halifax Thunderbirds, Las Vegas Desert Dogs, New York Riptide, Panther City Lacrosse Club (Fort Worth, TX), Philadelphia Wings, Rochester Knighthawks, San Diego Seals, Saskatchewan Rush, Toronto Rock, and Vancouver Warriors. For the latest scores and developments in the National Lacrosse League, please visit: NLL.com and find the NLL on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.