In-season OOC game cancellations

[Kevin OBrien]

First a team should be hit financially, just as any league would. I would up the ante a little for out of league games, perhaps the cost of refs plus 200, so $800 a game. Then deny the canceling team from the opportunity to play in nationals for this year and the following year. The team that was canceled on should still be eligible to be selected for an at large bid this year and the following year (probation) and maybe be denied from having national awards. Of course, there should also be a moratorium for canceling games (say January 1) or else penalties apply. I would be careful about making too much of a penalty since that would make a lot of the teams that currently are not able to make big trips (like us) hesitent to try. It of course can be adjusted year to year.

[Kyle Berggren]

Ref costs are different throughout the league... Could easily be $1.8k for a game out here in the PNCLL...

[SDSULAX]

Why would we want to fine them the costs of referees for a game that would not be played? Next someone will suggest that the referees get the money. We all know where the money comes from, restricting number of games and travel for a team, would be a good lesson.

[LaxRef]

Next someone will suggest that the referees get the money.

The referees should get the money.

[Zamboni_Driver]

Next someone will suggest that the referees get the money.

The referees should get the money.

If you are hired for a job, sign a contract, clear your schedule (allowing all other job opportunities during that time slot to be picked up by other workers), and then for no fault of your own the contract is broken and you can't make money for that day...

I know I'd like to get paid...

[Danny Hogan]

not for the travel costs though, which i surmise in the PNCLL is the most part of that 1.8K total fee paid to refs...

[Kevin OBrien]

Why would we want to fine them the costs of referees for a game that would not be played? Next someone will suggest that the referees get the money. We all know where the money comes from, restricting number of games and travel for a team, would be a good lesson.

I was just upping the ante, making it about the penalty for a forfiet, where the team that breaks the game will be responsible for ref fees and an additional fine (about $200). I wasn't saying the refs should get the fees (sorry laxref) , but I think somwhere between $500 to $1000 is comprable. Zamboni, the refs wouldn't get paid for the same reason they wouldn't for any number of other game cancellations, especially when it's canceled over a month early.

[BigheadTodd]

I think the monetary deterrent should be greater than the cost of playing the game, so that forfieting the game would not be the cheapest option. Playing the game should be the cheapest option. And limiting total games and travel is a good idea as well.

[LaxRef]

Why would we want to fine them the costs of referees for a game that would not be played? Next someone will suggest that the referees get the money. We all know where the money comes from, restricting number of games and travel for a team, would be a good lesson.

I was just upping the ante, making it about the penalty for a forfiet, where the team that breaks the game will be responsible for ref fees and an additional fine (about $200). I wasn't saying the refs should get the fees (sorry laxref) , but I think somwhere between $500 to $1000 is comprable. Zamboni, the refs wouldn't get paid for the same reason they wouldn't for any number of other game cancellations, especially when it's canceled over a month early.

I was just playfully taking SDSULAX's bait, although I do believe that for non-weather-related cancellations the officials should get something if the game is canceled within a short time frame. Often we arrange to take off work, don't get tickets for the big game, etc., in order to take an assignment and the end up having the game canceled the night before.

[John Paul]

While I don't think officials should get full game fees, I agree that the officials should get something for the time they had set aside. Maybe we'll work out a scale based on how close to the date the game is cancelled in our next contract.

Regardless, there are a lot of ways we can approach this. The BOD is working on it, and I anticipate we'll have some initial penalties this year and a more thorough process next year.

One other issue is the potential monetary cost to the team that loses their home game. I realize this is not the norm, but some of us make quite a bit of money from our home games through admissions, and that revenue is obviously lost. We also have sponsor agreements that count on the scheduled games to take place. We print tickets (which is not cheap), and often presell big batches to groups.

In our case, and in Michigan State's, the cancellation we had this season fell on our alumni weekend. We had a lot of them coming in to see that game, from all over the country, and they now have no game to watch.

There is sometimes a lot more to it than just a cancelled game.

[LaxRef]

While I don't think officials should get full game fees,

(Just for the record, neither do I! But something would be nice.)

[Kevin OBrien]

While I don't think officials should get full game fees,

(Just for the record, neither do I! But something would be nice.)

I'd imagine that to be a great way to get guys to ref though...

[Zeuslax]

While I don't think officials should get full game fees, I agree that the officials should get something for the time they had set aside. Maybe we'll work out a scale based on how close to the date the game is cancelled in our next contract.

Regardless, there are a lot of ways we can approach this. The BOD is working on it, and I anticipate we'll have some initial penalties this year and a more thorough process next year.

One other issue is the potential monetary cost to the team that loses their home game. I realize this is not the norm, but some of us make quite a bit of money from our home games through admissions, and that revenue is obviously lost. We also have sponsor agreements that count on the scheduled games to take place. We print tickets (which is not cheap), and often presell big batches to groups.

In our case, and in Michigan State's, the cancellation we had this season fell on our alumni weekend. We had a lot of them coming in to see that game, from all over the country, and they now have no game to watch.

There is sometimes a lot more to it than just a cancelled game.

Definitely the mountain top view. There's always more to the story!!

[lgriemsman]

It is not true that MSU does not have a game for "Alumni Weekend." The teams from Saginaw Valley State, Aquinas College and Northwood Club have agreed to join forces for the Friday night game. MSU also has Illinois coming into town on Saturday evening.

[buffalowill]

Hi everyone,
I would like to publicly apologize for what happened with UCLA this year. Everyone associated with the program is embarrassed and feels terrible for what has transpired at the Michigan schools.
When we scheduled this game we were very excited to take a our spring break trip to Michigan and play at two of the premier institutions in the U.S. Unfortunately we had a lot of unexpected things happen this season that really left me scrambling. Our former coach that had planned the finances, fundraising etc for the upcoming resigned late in the summer (can't blame him...he found his dream job) and we didn't have a head coach hired until literally hours before the general meeting. Our new coach, whom I absolute am thrilled with, did not start his full-time duties until January. At the same time this was happening I was hired at an agency and had 0 time for lacrosse/girlfriend (in that order...sorry Katie!). This was a tough move on my part because I had pretty much "run" the team inside and out for the last half-decade or so, leaving the team in the unexperienced hands of newbie student-players. I keep thinking that if I would have been able to stay with the program that none of this discussion would have ever taken place.
Without going into more detail, they had LOTS of trouble with just learning the club sports system let alone making sound decisions, while I had to moonlight to get the PAC-10 Tourney off the ground without running us into deeper into the red. AHHH...the stuff that happens to club teams.
Anyways...we really did our best to save the trip, but we just didn't have the means to make it happen (no donors or anything else was involved). I know that despite a stelar record with Spring Break trips (Utah, Texas, Arizona) over the last few years, this will mar the Bruins and teams will probably not schedule us for a while.

sorry for the long post, but I feel personally responsible for a lot of what happened and I didn't want for other personnel that were "thrown" into the mix to take the fall. I am confident that both UCLA Club Sports and the new UCLA Lacrosse staff will guide us in the right direction and will use this as a lesson for future seasons.

This has made me sick and I don't think i'll post for a while.

Thanks,

Will