THE FIRST 4 INTRODUCES DI MEN’S COLLEGE LACROSSE to CALIFORNIA Syracuse, Georgetown, North Carolina and Notre Dame to Play in Elite Invitational
LOS ANGELES, CA - Sports marketing and event management leader, Pantheon International, has announced plans to host The FIRST 4 on Saturday, March 12, 2005 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, CA. This historic event will mark the debut of Division I men’s college lacrosse in the state of California and first ever lacrosse competition at the Home Depot Center. Four of the nation’s top ranked teams will meet in the inaugural doubleheader, with Notre Dame meeting the Tar Heels of North Carolina, followed by the reigning NCAA champions, Syracuse University, facing off against the Georgetown Hoyas.
The DI doubleheader is the finale to an entire day of lacrosse action that will showcase eight of the top ranked high school teams in California, and a rematch of the 2004 USL MDIA national championship game between the University of California at Santa Barbara and Colorado State University.
Pantheon International, founder and organizer of the annual John R. Wooden Classic and John R. Wooden Tradition college basketball invitational events, also created college lacrosse’s annual Algonquin Cup in 2003, to showcase the country’s elite teams each year in a Fall tournament presented by Brine, the lacrosse industry’s leading equipment manufacturer. Brine has also signed on to sponsor The FIRST 4.
“We’re bullish on the sport for a number of reasons,” says Kent Atherton, President & CEO of Pantheon International. “We believe it is potentially an explosive situation out on the West Coast…and from a marketing standpoint, the passion and loyalty of this group is unlike any other and we want to help college lacrosse grow on a much more national scale.”
CSTV will be televising both games of The FIRST 4 “live” as part of College Sports Television’s National College Lacrosse Series, hosted by Joe Beninati and Quint Kessenich. CSTV’s CollegeSports.com, the most-trafficked college sports Web site, will also deliver live online coverage of The FIRST 4, along with their exclusive new Game Tracker Live feature that will provide “real time” game scores and statistics.
Pantheon International is a privately held, Westport, CT-based sports marketing/ event management company that specializes in providing corporations with unique marketing platforms through sports and entertainment. The company’s mission is to help clients build long-term relationships with their target audiences by connecting their brands, products and customers to the loyal affinity groups associated with sports teams, events and/or cultural activities, where the passion of the global consumer resides.
Tickets to The FIRST 4 are available in advance through all Ticketmaster outlets, online at ticketmaster.com, or at the Home Depot Center Box Office. For more information is available by calling toll-free 866-574-0274 or by visiting the official event Web site at www.thefirst4.com.
LINK from Lax.com:
http://www.lax.com/stories/1347
