The F&F Factor

There are some among us who love hosting big events just because of all the excitement and energy they bring.  All well and good, say the pragmatic bean counters.  But the bottom line is, well,  the bottom line!  Fill those seats and feed those bellies.  Make those turnstiles and cash registers spin.

So it was a matter of concern in some quarters when all the Maryland-based schools in Division I fell during the early rounds, leaving only Salisbury in Division III carrying the standard for the home state.

What fills the most seats are FANS, right?  Much easier to attract fans when they're already here, or just a light rail away.

Fortunately, the weather gods and the demographics of the sport are smiling upon us.  It's a beautiful day in Baltimore.  Warm, but not too sunny.  That we couldn't predict, and we're grateful.

The one thing we could count on is that no matter which four teams made it to the finals, there were sure to be Marylander somewhere on the roster.  Sure enough, even Notre Dame (the only non-Eastern time zone team to make the finals in years) has some locals on their team.

This drives another dynamic of ticket sales -- Family and Friends.  That's what Terry loves about youth sports (prep and collegiate events are categorized as amateur youth.)  Those adolescents travel with boatloads of family, friends, former teammates, and Facebook followers.  So even without local or road warrior teams (like Syracuse or Princeton) we can rely upon the homegrown talent to bring their F&Fs to M&T en masse.

There's another F factor, and that's Festivities.  This year the youth program and on-site Lax Festival have attracted league teams from all over. (These youngsters are from Richmond.  They showed up, wielding sticks, at 10:30 and have been frolicking around the campus ever since.)  The entire Camden Yards complex is teeming with tailgaters, festival-goers, and kids playing catch on the grass.  (Rain garden is off-limits, guys.)

It's too soon to tell if all these F factors can compensate for the lack of a local team in Division I.  But after wandering around and talking with folks, I know it is a already a great experience for them,  Their delight in being here, celebrating the best of lacrosse in its epicenter, is hopefully apparent to the good folks from NCAA. 

It's a great day -- in a great place --- for NCAA lacrosse.