A Look Ahead to 2008 and a Proposal

[Dan Wishengrad]

Personally, I would be against playing our PNCLL Finals in a football stadium like Boise's. We played in Husky Stadium for years, and after the initial novelty of being on the field in "the big house" wears off you are left with the depressing reality of hundreds of fans (at the most) in a place built to seat tens of thousands. A "big time" football stadium like Boise's, UW's, UO's, OSU's or WSU's is not the best choice for our event, and it is why none of us have put together a bid in the past to host in these stadiums. We are best off using a university soccer stadium or a high school stadium like we have used the past four years for the PNCLL Final Four. Seating for 1,000 to 2,000 for our Finals is more than ample, and provides a better atmosphere. For the semi-finals a venue with at least TWO fields (and preferably three or more) is the ideal site, so games run simultaneously and the day can be shortened to allow for an evening banquet and more rested teams come Sunday.

There are pluses to be sure for playing in the big football stadiums -- excellent lighting and press boxes, locker facilities, etc. Having Fieldturf, a great surface in any color, is a big plus. But in my opinion the negatives outweigh the positives, and I would encourage Shawn and the BSU folks to find a more suitable and intimate setting for our event there in Boise. Don't stake a bid to host in Boise based on everybody being just tickled pink to get the chance play on blue Smurf turf. Just my two cents...

[Kyle Berggren]

Rick, I was wondering mainly if a local company could get on board, maybe take hold of this thing as their own. I'm sure the Board would very happy to turn it over to a company willing to foot the bill, if they get the revenue. The cost of officials out there is my largest fear. We get the best officials to the event, not necessarily the local. Flights are great, & would be the way to go, but the cost will still be substantially more than Western location. If we can overcome this, great!

I'm also slightly afraid that the day teams get to Boise, the school will say only BSU can play in the stadium. This was an issue a few years ago, although, it sounds like it can be easily resolved.

[nlyon02]

[quote="Dan Wishengrad"]We are best off using a university soccer stadium or a high school stadium like we have used the past four years for the PNCLL Final Four. Seating for 1,000 to 2,000 for our Finals is more than ample, and provides a better atmosphere. quote]
I went to Gonzaga Prep in Spokane. Like Shogan I think this could be a good host spot. I know they just got a brand new stadium about 2 years ago w/ sprinturf. It is a very nice playing surface and they just added bleachers to seat just about that many people. Plus I think we all want this sport to grow and Spokane is slow at picking up this sport. If they were to see it live at the college level, I am sure interest would pick up.

[Shawn Carman]

Thanks Ryan,

That field was tore up really bad this year. Mainly because our school now has a women's football team and a men's rugby team that use the field including both men's and women's lacrosse and all intramural sports.

The day before we played UC Davis, it rained so to play on the field it caused even more damage. There are plans to get that field changed into a turf field with lacrosse lines on it though. I am not sure if I will see it in my time or not but maybe, just maybe.

If you remember back to the Gem State Lacrosse Tournament the field was in a whole lot better shape.

[Blake]

I don't think we would have to worry about only BSU playing on the smurf turf. I filled in at keeper for Whitman this fall, and we played Utah State on the turf, as well as Albertson.

Here's the deal - the Boise area has a ton of options as far as playing fields go. I know that Boise State even has a VERY nice soccer field that the lacrosse team has never used. About 1,000 seats, putting green type grass...the word "pristine" comes to mind. If they can get access to that, problem solved. Also, there are a number of great high school programs that could jump on board, including one that has field turf with lax lines already laid down.

However, most importantly, the Boise community would definitely rally behind this. More and more Boise players are going to PNCLL squads to play. At Bishop Kelly alone we currently have kids at Boise State, Oregon, Montana, Albertson, and Idaho. And I don't know where the idea of high school kids being too cool to attend college games comes from, because Bronco games are always VERY well attended by the high school lax community here in Boise.

All I'm saying is that Boise should be considered if a bid is put in by Shawn. There are negatives, just like any other venue would have, but I think the positives far outweigh them.

[ZagGrad]

Mainly because our school now has a women's football team...

Wait...what?

[Shawn Carman]

Our school has a women's sixxes football team. Its a club team right now, but is still new in its existence.

Again, Blake has some very good things to say about the situation. I will put my two cents in on it now.

Boise, hands down in my opinion would be a great place to host such an event. Its not just the schools support, fan and local support but it is all about the community here in Boise.

Boise has experienced such a huge growth of lacrosse over the last few years. Since I started playing in 2004, there were 8 H.S. Teams and 1 of the 8 was starting its first year as a H.S. Sport. Now there are 13 H.S. Teams in which more than half of them are able to field both a Varsity and JV teams. Including many youth teams at every age. Do the math, thats 5 Varsity teams, 7+ JV Teams and 7+ Youth teams in just over 3 years.

Not to mention our school hosts an annual BSU Lacrosse Clinic for youth, helps host the Denver Outlaws, Matt Hannah Lacrosse Clinic (both youth clinics), the Gem State Lacrosse Tournament and helping out with many of the H.S. camps and clinics.

Our school has been doing some renovations on our Stadium since our Fiesta Bowl win adding some new and improved things so I am not sure if the tournament could be held there or not unless the improvements are done before hand. But like Blake stated there is a soccer field not far from campus that could potentially be used.

Back to the community. The lacrosse community here in Boise could really put on a good showing in terms of such an event. This past weekend the community hosted its annual H.S. All-Star Game where there was a huge turn out of fans, all players, parents, youths and just plain fans that all showed up for one reason, to watch lacrosse.

I will talk to some people to see about how much it would cost to host such an event and possibly submit a proposal for the 2008 Championships to be hosted in Boise. I to think that in this situation the goods outweigh the bads.

[Sonny]

Go Blue Turf!

[Shawn Carman]

How's that for some PR!
Thanks Sonny

I have some questions to ask, be it for Jason or Kyle any of the League Officers or anyone in order for me to get some answers from the school about possibly submitting a proposal for the 2008 Playoffs.

I was told that it is a very good possibility of hosting such an event here in Boise but I need to know these key points -
1.) How many games will be hosted?
2.) Dates?
3.) Just one playing field? Or is more better?
4.) If a banquet wants to be held about how many people are expected? Maybe some numbers form past banquets can be dug up.

Once I have that information I can get some answers from the school.


Thanks to whom ever can help.

[GrizLens]

Smurfin' A. it smurfin' rocks.

[Dr. Jason Stockton]

How's that for some PR!
Thanks Sonny

I have some questions to ask, be it for Jason or Kyle any of the League Officers or anyone in order for me to get some answers from the school about possibly submitting a proposal for the 2008 Playoffs.

I was told that it is a very good possibility of hosting such an event here in Boise but I need to know these key points -
1.) How many games will be hosted?
2.) Dates?
3.) Just one playing field? Or is more better?
4.) If a banquet wants to be held about how many people are expected? Maybe some numbers form past banquets can be dug up.

Once I have that information I can get some answers from the school.


Thanks to whom ever can help.

1. If things don't change, you are looking at 6 games. 4 semifinal games and 2 final games.
2. It will likely fall on the weekend of April 26 & 27.
3. Two playing fields is ideal . . .but as you saw in Tacoma, one really nice field can work.
4. 8 teams and their families. . .plus some additional players that would show up to receive awards? I would expect somewhere in the neighborhood of 200-250 people at the banquet.

I hope this helps.

[Shawn Carman]

Thanks for the #'s I will see if I can get some questions answered from the school now.

[BillyBaker31]

I think if we do host the tourny and we can play it on lyle smith feild that we only play the games on the blue and not our crapy grass field. it wouldnt be fair to those playing on it and it would be easy to keep the tourny all in the stadium, and problems like admissions would be issues with 2 fields. We get a bigger crowd if all the games are played at the stadium and people can stay and watch lacrosse all and not have to leave there seat. You would have smaller crowds, or split crowds if you do 2 games at once or even on different fields, and for plublicity having 2-3 thousand in the stadium will look good if we take photos, videos from the tourny to promote the PNCLL or even the MCLA. thats my two cents on the topic. the only real issue would be getting permission to use the biodegradable, wash away paint on the field, because no body wants to play a game with tape for the creases and other lines. if you watched any of the d1 tourny games, many teams used the same paint in green to cover up the football lines on the field turf and used white lines for lacrosse. navy uses field turf and they dont have lacrosse lines on them they use the non perminent paint and cover up the football lines and draw lacrosse lines. they did the same thing in M&T Bank stadium for the championships. i dont know if we could go as far as to use blue paint to cover up the football lines but they should let us use orange or yellow paint to draw our lacrosse lines.

[Jana]

In 2005 the women had to use tape, it would be great if the PNCLL could get permission to use the washaway lines, because it would open the door for other groups to line for something other than football.

If you have umpires traveling to Spo-Vegas and Walla Walla, then the mileage is probably not too much less than flying umpires into Boise.

[Dan Wishengrad]

Here's another great football stadium, and UW could get it for the PNCLL Final Four, and easily. Been there, done that as far as lax in the football stadiums.

Those two photos of the SmurfTurf are an excellent contrast, and I believe also perfectly illustrate my point. In Sonny's photo the house DOES rock for that gorgeous sunset football game, absolutely packed to the gills with blue and orange-clad fans. In Will's lacrosse shot you have an empty stadium, with the creases taped on the ten yard line giving you an illegal, 120 yard long field. You have to line through the middle of the end zones and the big Bronco mural on the fifty to have the creases on the 10yd lines, or move the midfield X to a forty-five yard line instead. But it's just not the best lacrosse venue for the PNCLL, IMHO, unless someone figures out how to fill the stadium for our Final Fours. The 2-3,000 cited by an earlier poster is a pipe dream.