Brogden Cup

History

The Brogden Cup was established in 1988 to honor H. McCullough "Mac" Brogden, a former Johns Hopkins University goalie who represented the United States at the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. During those Olympics, lacrosse was featured as a demonstration sport, with Johns Hopkins representing the United States against a Canadian all-star team in a three-game series. The Americans won the series 2-1, with games played in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum before massive crowds totaling 145,000 spectators across the three matches.

Brogden's participation in this historic Olympic competition made him part of lacrosse history during an era when the sport was gaining recognition on the international stage. 

In 2019, USA Lacrosse fundamentally restructured the Brogden Cup as part of the National Team Development Program (NTDP). The competition shifted to feature USA Select teams at the U15/U16 and U17/U18 age divisions for both boys and girls, competing against Team Ontario and the Haudenosaunee Nationals.

Format

The tournament now uses a Ryder Cup-style scoring system where each match win earns one point for the competing nation, with the overall winner determined by total points across all divisions. This format emphasizes cumulative team success rather than individual division champions, creating a unified national competition.

Tournament Structure | Levels of Play

The modern Brogden Cup features six teams across four divisions:

 Boys' Divisions:

  • U17 Boys (ages approximately 15-16)
  • U19 Boys (ages approximately 17-18)

Girls' Divisions:

  • U17 Girls (ages approximately 15-16)
  • U19 Girls (ages approximately 17-18)

Participating Nations

  • United States: USA Select teams chosen through the National Team Development Program
  • Team Ontario: Selected from the Ontario Lacrosse Association
  • Haudenosaunee Nationals: Representing the Haudenosaunee Confederacy (Iroquois Nations)

 The Haudenosaunee Nationals' participation is particularly significant, as they are the only Indigenous team with international recognition competing as a sovereign nation. The Haudenosaunee view lacrosse as "the Creator's Game," a spiritual practice central to their cultural identity.

 Tournament Format and Scheduling

The Brogden Cup spans three days of competition, typically from Friday through Sunday. The 2025 tournament was held October 24-26 at USA Lacrosse headquarters in Sparks, Maryland.

 The competition includes approximately 24-25 games over the weekend, with each team playing multiple matches against both opponents. Games are played under international rules with varying timing:

  • Friday and Saturday: 10-minute quarters
  • Sunday: 8-minute quarters

Each match awards one point to the winning team in the overall Brogden Cup standings. The nation accumulating the most points across all divisions wins the Cup.  

Brogden Cup Information