2006 First Four moves to San Diego's Torero Stadium

[Sonny]

From Loyola press release...

Loyola '06 Schedule Features First Four Invitational, JHU

BALTIMORE, MD – The Loyola College men's lacrosse team has released its 2006 season schedule and to no one's surprise, the Greyhounds will once again play the nation's top teams. Highlighting the new schedule will be a First Four match-up with 2005 NCAA Finalist Duke (in San Diego) and Loyola's traditional season finale with defending NCAA champion Johns Hopkins at Diane Geppi-Aikens Field.

"We continue to challenge ourselves with one of the most competitive schedules around," says Loyola Head Coach Bill Dirrigl. "Eight of our 12 games are against NCAA Tournament teams from a year ago."

For the third year in a row, the Greyhounds open the season with local-rival Towson. With the road team winning each of the last six games in this highly contested series, the Greyhounds hope to continue that trend at Johnny Unitas Stadium on Saturday, February 25, before its home opener with ECAC foe Penn State the following Saturday.

Playing its second season in the ECAC, the Greyhounds will face the same strong cast of characters including 2005 NCAA Quarterfinalists Georgetown and Massachusetts, as well as Penn State, St. John's, Rutgers, Hobart and newcomer Fairfield.

"The ECAC is a very good conference and will only get better with the addition of Fairfield," says Dirrigl. "We look forward to improving upon our 4-2 conference record last season and forming long-time rivalries with some excellent lacrosse programs."

The highlighted road trip of 2006 has to be Loyola's participation in the second-annual First Four Invitational. Last year's First Four Invitational was held in Los Angeles, Calif. and drew 7,182 fans for a one-day doubleheader featuring Syracuse, Georgetown, Notre Dame and North Carolina. This year's Four, which will be played in Torero Stadium in San Diego, includes Loyola, Duke, Navy and Bucknell.

The one-day doubleheader will be played on March 11 with Loyola facing Duke at 5 p.m. local time. Navy will take on Bucknell in the second game, starting at 7:30 p.m. PST. Both games will be broadcast live on Fox Sports Net.

"The First Four is a great opportunity to get some national exposure," says Dirrigl. "We anticipate a great atmosphere and a great crowd and look forward to the whole experience."

The Greyhounds will return from California and stay on the road for back-to-back-to-back games at St. John's, UMass and Syracuse, playing the Orange on Saturday, April 1 in the Carrier Dome.

Loyola will return to Geppi-Aikens Field on Saturday, April 8 and will host conference rivals Rutgers and Georgetown in consecutive Saturdays. Road games at Fairfield and Hobart close out April while a Senior Day bash with Johns Hopkins closes out the regular season on May 6.

Loyola's 2006 Men's Lacrosse Schedule

Feb. 25 at Towson TBA
Mar. 4 Penn State* 1 p.m.
Mar. 7 Wagner 3 p.m.
Mar. 11 vs. Duke# 8 p.m.
Mar. 18 at St. John's* 1 p.m.
Mar. 25 at UMass* 12 p.m.
April 1 at Syracuse 1 p.m.
April 8 Rutgers* 1 p.m.
April 15 Georgetown* 1 p.m.
April 22 at Fairfield* 1 p.m.
April 29 at Hobart* 1 p.m.
May 6 Johns Hopkins 1 p.m.

*ECAC Game
#First Four – San Diego, Calif.

[Sonny]

Any MDIA teams getting any feelers for participating in next year's event?

[Bigdaddy11]

AWESOME!!!!!!!!!-My office/warehouse is about 1/4 mile away from the stadium.

I believe Torrero stadium holds about 6,000-better get your tix early. San Diego is the perfect place to hold such an event-beautiful city, great location, lots of fun stuff to do and SD has a lacrosse crazy populace.

Can't Wait!

[Has No Left]

http://usdtoreros.collegesports.com/facilities/torero-stadium.html

[Sonny]

I didn't realize that USD played football. They play football and soccer in the Fall in that same stadium (grass field)?

[CATLAX MAN]

Can you say MDIA tourney location?

[LaxRef]

Can you say MDIA tourney location?

Really? Do they have enough fields? Is it affordable?

[camthrax]

Well this is lame, I move to LA and then they move it. Also, thats a pretty small venue. How was the attendance last year? because this seems small.

[CATLAX MAN]

They had a little over 7,000 in attendance at the last First 4.

[laxfan25]

Can you say MDIA tourney location?

The city and westher are great, but I doubt if they have the facilities to handle the tournament in one location there.

[KnoxVegas]

Isn't Jim Harbaugh the football coach at USD?

[CATLAX MAN]

Actually, my comment was half meant in jest. However, one of the problems in finding a site is that they must have multiple fields along with a stadium site. This realy pares down the potential sites that can be considered. In reality, the stadium is only needed for a few games on the last 2 days of the tourney. In fact, this year the women did not play in the stadium, only the men did, so the argument that the facility must be able to house both the men's & women's fields is apparently not totallly a necessity. Has any consideration been given to having a split location, where the earlier rounds & consolation games are at a facility that can accomodate the multiple fields and having the few games that are being played at the stadium facility be somewhere else, but nearby in the same city? I would think that a city like San Diego might be able to provide that type of venue and this stadium is the perfect size for the semi-final & final games.

[laxfan25]

That really isn't a bad idea, as you said there's no reason that the semis and finals site has to be the same as one where the early games are played. San Diego does have some beautiful parks along the waterfront - get out the chalk and let's play! It would be a fabulous location to be playing along the bay, with a nice intimate stadium for the big games.
Let's get the bid together - you're in charge CatLax Man!
How much will San Diego be willing to pay to get the kind of draw that the MDIA championships would bring in? After all, this is a very high-end crowd with lots of disposable income, being lacrosse families and all.

[Sean Lenihan]

For the right managment fee I could produce a successfull MDIA Championship in SD. The 'one site' rule could be waived for a 'one city execption'. Additionally, hype surounding the ideal weather would be deliverable.

Good idea Catlaxman!

[John Paul]

We're actually ahead of you guys. Consideration is being given to holding the tournament in one city, using multiple sites for the early and consolation rounds and then using a stadium for the semis and finals (plus B and women's finals).

Hurdles include:
1. Probably too late to make a switch for next year.
2. Cost might be greater.
3. More staffing needed.
4. Coordination/oversight will be tougher.

It's a great idea. Of course, we'd lose the festival atmosphere that so many people love about the current tournament format. But it potentially opens up numerous options for host locations.

The key to going this route, aside from US Lacrosse buy-in, is going to be finding a community that can not only support this format logistically, but also has a motivated and active lacrosse community that is willing to get involved in a big way. We don't have the budget to provide a "management fee." We need a volunteer workforce and coordinators, or it won't happen.

Anyway, it's an option, and we are considering it.