Face-Off Classic Underway!

Yes, it's still winter with a few grimy slush piles to prove it, but for the hearty souls assembled around M&T it is time for the first tailgate of the season.

The sun is shining and there is a steady stream of young fans working their way through the activities on the stadium perimeter.  There are also clusters of collegiates manning grills and coolers while waiting for their event to begin.

Maryland and Duke were evenly exchanging goals when I left a few minutes ago, but the Princeton crowd was just getting warmed up.  They have a sizable contingent in the parking lot (although I doubt they'll outnumber the Hopkins faithful since the Blue Jays enjoy hometown advantage.)

Today's tripleheader represents a value added element to the series.  While the past three years have featured four top ranked teams competing for early season honors, this year's event has six -- including Notre Dame (their fans are everywhere) and another hometown power, Loyola.    And the price is the same!  The last game won't begin until 4:00 PM, so there will be an all day influx of fans taking advantage of this opportunity.

Scads of youngsters are here with their rec teams.  They come from throughout the region to see the best of the best college play.  They're also having a good time playing along Ravens Walk.    The layout of Camden Yards lends itself to family picnics and games of catch.   More than likely, they'll be back in May when the championship is decided.

For that matter, we'll probably see one or more of the teams playing today at the end of the season.  We know at least two of them -- Maryland and Hopkins -- will return for the Day of Rivals next month.  Along with Army-Navy, that was a big hit last year.

So today marks the beginning of spring, at least in my book.  And it couldn't be a prettier day.

Stix and Sunshine on Saturday

I'm going out on a limb here in weather-weary Maryland, but trust me --it will be sunny and bright when six of the top NCAA lacrosse programs visit M&T Bank Stadium for the 4th Annual Face-off Classic.

That's right.  There's still a mountain of slush in the outer parking lots (think of it as refrigeration for your tailgate beverages) but ample room for your first outdoor entertaining of the 2010 season. 

Lots open at 8:00 AM, which gives you plenty of time to fire up your grills before the 11:00 AM face-off between Maryland and Duke.  Princeton takes on Hopkins at 1:30 and, for the first time, Loyola and Notre Dame bring their traditional meeting to M&T at 4:00.

Inside Lacrosse promises lots of activities, giveaways, and attractions.  All I can offer is the sunshine. 

So bring your sticks and see how many snowmen you can level on Lot G.  It's going to be a great day to celebrate spring -- whether or not the groundhog agrees.

A Look at Lacrosse

We are barely a week from the Minolta Face-Off Classic, a triple-header competition of top ranked NCAA teams   (including a match up between Notre Dame and Loyola, who surprised Duke and Navy respectively earlier in the season.)  The celebration of our state sport will take place at M&T Bank Stadium on March 6th.  You can read more about it (and buy your tickets) here.

US Lacrosse, the Maryland-based governing body, just issued a recent study of the sport's growth, and it is very relevant to the popularity it enjoys (and the $$$$ it returns to our state.)

Among the interesting points is the overall growth of lacrosse participants, by 8.4% in 2009.  In the youth category (a favorite Terry target,) the annual growth was 12.1%, with colleges showing a 6% increase.

(You've got to love that growth in youth sports.  That's where Maryland really shines as a destination for regional and national tournaments because we have so many top notch facilities and home grown competitors.)

Since 2001, organized lacrosse play has increased by an astonishing 120%.  They anticipate that in the next ten years, participation will again double as lacrosse is one of the fastest growing team sports in the country.

Geographically, the sport is experiencing growth outside of its traditional Mid-Atlantic, Long Island base.  New England, San Francisco, Denver and Minnesota are mentioned as specific areas where lacrosse enjoys popularity and greater participation.

Contributing to the growth is the number of states now sanctioning the sport, the increased number of varsity lacrosse programs, the expanded coverage of NCAA games on national television and the consistent growth in attendance at the NCAA championship tournaments.

(That's where we come in, folks -- we have to keep that growth going if we want to make Maryland the traditional site of the NCAA finals.  Buy your tickets here.)

Here is an excerpt from the report:

For the last decade, lacrosse has been one of the fastest-growing team sports in the country. US Lacrosse chapters have been established in 40 states and more than 560,000 people played on organized teams in 2009 compared to just over 250,000 in 2001.


The sport is growing at almost every level of the game.


Youth lacrosse is the fastest-growing segment of the sport with more than 30,000 additional players picking up the sport last year. High school lacrosse is now sanctioned in 21 states with the addition of North Carolina and South Carolina in 2010 and Illinois in 2011. A record 60 teams will compete in NCAA Division I men’s lacrosse in 2010 and new college varsity programs are popping up in states like Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Wisconsin and more.


The NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championship routinely draws crowds in the neighborhood of 50,000 for games played in NFL stadiums. The pro lacrosse leagues stretch across the country and this summer’s men’s world championship is expected to feature a record 30 nations competing.


Lacrosse has become a regular feature on television with nearly 100 games scheduled to
air in 2010, primarily on ESPNU and CBS College Sports.


The sport also receives additional exposure through several sport-specific print and Internet-based publications, including Lacrosse Magazine, a monthly periodical that is mailed to each of the 300,000-plus US Lacrosse members; Lacrosse Magazine Online (www.laxmagazine.com), a news-based Web site; and the US Lacrosse Web site (www.uslacrosse.org), which provides extensive background information about the sport and the leadership provided by US Lacrosse to support the sport’s healthy growth.

You can read the complete press release (which includes a link to the full report) here.

As we've said before, Team Terry is fully committed to convincing the NCAA and other lacrosse advocates to make Baltimore the traditional home of the championship series.  We continue to compile evidence of why this is a good idea (the geographic growth and accessibility of our facilities as well as the critical fan base,) but the most convincing argument is always the bottom line.   So follow the link and get your tickets early.  This is going to be a breakout year for lacrosse festivities, and we want Maryland to drive the action.

Always in Season

I love this time of year.  After tomorrow, I can wear my holiday sweaters all the way through New Year's.  It's a short season, but a merry one.  When you're in the sports biz, you tend to regard the calendar not by months, but seasons.  It's something like being a mom, when you look at life through school schedules (or gestations periods.)

I mentioned our nine month countdown before birthing the NCAA Lacrosse Championships on Memorial Day. We've passed a relatively quiet first trimester but when I checked our Camden Yards calendar, I realized the triumphant weekend will actually be the third in a series of tournaments that carry Maryland's team sport from winter into summer. That's when it occurred to me:  in Maryland, it's always lacrosse season.  (Why don't they make garish sweaters so I can celebrate year-round?)

M&T Bank Stadium will host the first triple-header Face Off Classic in early (br-r-r-r-r-) March. Sponsored by Minolta and promoted by Inside Lacrosse magazine, the Face-Off Classic has paired top ranked college teams at the season's start . While the first three years of competition attracted as many as 20,000 fans for a doubleheader, the addition of a third pair of contenders is almost guaranteed to up the ante.

Yes, the weather can be iffy in March (remember the ignominious departure of the Colts?) and last year it was pretty miserable. But lacrosse fans are a hardy bunch and always eager to see the best teams and look at the newest equipment at the beginning of the season.

Three local teams (Maryland, Hopkins, and Loyola) will take on three tough opponents (Duke, Princeton, and Notre Dame) in that order on March 6th. A full day of hard hitting action and indoor tailgating at Pickles.

On April 17th, the second annual Smartlink Day of Rivals (another Inside Lacrosse production) takes place. This double header features two classic grudge matches -- Army-Navy and Maryland-Hopkins -- and hopefully better spring weather.

By the time Memorial Day rolls around, local lacrosse fans should be familiar with at least some of the final four because they've likely already seen them at M&T (or Annapolis, where quarter finals will be held again in 2010.)

As lacrosse becomes a major sport around the country, Maryland is increasingly recognized as the go-to place for tournaments, conventions, camps and clinics. It isn't just the top notch facilities and passionate fan base, it's institutional memory, coaching talent, rec leagues and school programs providing infrastructure to nurture athletes and develop the sport's popularity. The Lacrosse Hall of Fame is here, as is the sport's governing body and major communications network (Inside Lacrosse magazine.)   Even lacrosse equipment is manufactured here.

Maryland is a four season lacrosse state. After the winter to spring season, we'll be into professional lacrosse during the summer (finals in Annapolis again next year) and fall ball exhibitions and tourneys that continue to expand the program.

So the NCAA Championships aren't the beginning, middle or end of the 2010 lacrosse frenzy in Maryland. But they are the marquee event for the sport, and they should be a regular part of Maryland lacrosse heritage (and yes, Terry's working on that . . . .)

Fall Ball

It hardly seems the time to be talking about NCAA lacrosse. But seven months before the men's and women's championships take place over Memorial Day weekend (at M&T and Johnny U stadiums respectively)   many of the top men's and women's programs will be engaged in tournament play this weekend to give locals a good look at some contenders for the 2010 crown.

In Annapolis, Navy will host Maryland, Virginia and the U.S. Men's Lacrosse National Training Team in a fall tournament on the campus of the US Naval Academy.  The U.S. Men's Lacrosse National Training Team is preparing for the Federation of International Lacrosse World Championship in Manchester, England from July 10-24, 2010.  Coach Mike Pressler arranged the meeting with these three top NCAA programs to determine his final roster.  For the college teams, it is the chance to size up their league opponents before the spring season begins.

At Cedar Lane Regional Park in Bel Air, the 12th annual Price Modern Lacrosse for Leukemia Tournament will take place on Saturday, October 17, starting at 8:30 a.m.  This tournament will feature six men's and thirteen women's lacrosse teams from around the country.

The Lacrosse for Leukemia Tournament benefits the Maryland chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, which raises money to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and to improve the quality of life of patients and their families.  Over the years, this tournament has raised nearly a million dollars for research.

This year's event will feature men's teams from UMBC, Towson, Mt. Saint Mary's, Washington College, and the Air Force Academy (which includes Hannah's son, a freshman at the Academy.) The tournament will also feature women's teams from American, Duke, Duquesne, James Madison, Johns Hopkins, LaSalle, Loyola, Maryland, Mount St. Mary's, Rutgers, Towson, UMBC, and Temple.

So if you want a preview of the kind of lacrosse you will likely see in the championship rounds next spring, drop in on the tournaments this fall.  After all, this is Maryland.  Lacrosse is never out of season.

More Lacrosse News

As expected, Towson University will host the 2010 NCAA Division I women's lacrosse championship for the third year in a row, bringing both the men's and women's NCAA tournament finals to Baltimore next year. The women's games will take place at Johnny Unitas Stadium on May 28 and 30, while the men's final four returns to M&T Bank Stadium on May 29 and 31.

It's the first time both championships will be held in the same vicinity at the same time. It creates the opportunity for numerous lacrosse intensive activities for fans, families, and friends of all participating teams.

This year's Division I women's championship, which saw Northwestern defeat North Carolina, drew 14,064 to Unitas Stadium for the three games, a semifinals record for women's game in the United States.

Baltimore hosted the men's final four in 2003, 2004 and 2007 and set attendance records in each of those years. The announced 51,719 who showed up to watch the Division I men's semifinals in 2007 are still a single-day record for the tournament.

Shades of Blue in Annapolis

In a few days, Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium will be filled with family and friends watching the Class of 2009 receive their commissions. But today, the festivities are of a different sort. NCAA men’s Division I Lacrosse semi finals take place in a double header starting around noon. Although face-off is a few hours away, tailgate troops are mustering, an occupation in foreign shades of blue.

The distinctive periwinkle of Johns Hopkins anchors the best site, the stadium’s south side. From the look of their compound, they’ve been here a while. (Not surprising since they have the shortest commute.) Just off Rowe Boulevard a swarm of Prussian blue hoodies, armed with a large cooler, takes the hill by the courthouse. The delegation from Duke has arrived.

Closer to Route 50 is the pale (“God must be a Tarheel because the sky is . . .”) Carolina blue regiment, followed a Duke stray carrying yet another cooler.

Alas, the only glimpse of Navy blue appears on the trim on UVA’s uniform, as the hometown Mids were torpeded in Durham last week. I’m guessing there will probably be more than a few of them in the stands by game time, though. Lacrosse, even when Navy isn’t playing, enjoys great popularity here. So do tailgates.

(Note: UVA’s bastion on the north side is already rocking, but Wahoos are universally regarded as tailgating pros. so they might have arrived last night.)

But enough singing the blues ! This time next year, the NCAA Championship Series will take place Memorial Day weekend in Baltimore and it promises to be the best yet. For the first time, the Women's championship will be in town the same weekend, taking place at Johnny Unitas stadium in Towson. So enough of singing the blues. After next week, the countdown begins in earnest. If there’s one thing Marylanders do better than anyone, it’s lacrosse.