Growing the MCLA - 2008 Championship in Boston

[John Paul]

We would love that too. We need the facility and the local organizing committee to make it happen.

[Sonny]

My opinion on Dallas - Pizza Hut Park:

Great venue, horrible location / fan support

Let me elaborate before anyone tries to jump down my throat. Other than parents and players playing at the event, there were virtually NO other fans at the games. I would love to see this event be held somewhere where fans other than the ones listed above would like to come. (Bars / hotels within cab / walking distance). Thats what helps make the NCAA championship so fun to go to IMHO.

While I agree that everyone involved with the event needs to work on better local fan support, how many facilities are there in the US where you have professional stadium with accompanying state of the art outer fields (for early round games) adjacent to bars/hotels/restaurants within walking distance?

Places like Pizza Hut Park (TX), Dick's Sporting Goods Park (CO), etc. aren't building in dense urban areas for a reason. They needs lots of land to make the facility work.

[woulax23]

I haven't been able to go and see Pizza Hut Park, but i heard it was a great facility. I personally think that in the spirit of making a good "product" to sell that we need to find a place where lacrosse is more mainstream. I know that Texas lacrosse is growing, but the sport is growing everywhere. I would be in favor of Chicago or Denver simply due to the fact that there are pro teams that are making money there so we know that there are fans of the sport itself, and not necessarily any particular team, willing to spend $ on tickets for Lacrosse. Plus it might be a situation where we can get support from these pro organizations themselves in one way or another to hype the event (Sonny..... or anyone who knows more about this can correct me if that last statement is a dream). It sounds like there was little outside fan base in Dallas, which i see as a serious negative for holding the event there.

Another possibility on the West Coast would be Home Depot Center in Carson outside of L.A. They host an MLL team there so it would not be a new concept for the venue or any of it's staff; and there are major fans in the area as California is probably the second to Colorado as the biggest lacrosse hotspot in the western half of the country. I think that any decision, however, should be made based on where the league can make the most money and get the most exposure, rather than worrying about a centralized location. I mean if we wanted to go that route Nebraska would be the most ideal, centrally located place for the nation, but would the event be best suited there? I think that teams should know that it is a major expense to go to nationals and that they should be prepared to travel anywhere, even if that means going from one coast to another. These are just my opinions though, feel free to disagree.

[CATLAX MAN]

I believe the Home Depot Center was looked at in the past and was deemed to be not cost feasible.

[Zamboni_Driver]

I disagree that moving the MCLA championship to the east coast will benefit the overall visibility and respect for the MCLA. Below are my my feelings and questions, I'd love to hear any responses, because my mind is not made up....

1. Just because there is more support for lacrosse in the east, doesn't mean there is going to be automatic support for the MCLA. In fact I think the MCLA will be at a disadvantage because you will not be considered as good as the varsity level, and no one will attend. If no one attends, did you really make your point that you are very talented? (which I do believe this league is)

2. I can attend a post-collegiate game every Sunday, where I can watch ex-NCAA D1 and D3 All-Americans, and I can do it all for FREE. Why would I attend your event?

3. Sonoma and Georgia Tech played at Georgetown prior to the G'Town game this past year. How many fans did they have at that game? (This may not be fair depending on advertising). How many fans does BC-Northeastern get, that are not family members, fraternity brothers and girlfriends?

I think the MCLA seeks 2 levels of visibility - with the expanding lacrosse world and the establishment (east coast). Continuing the MCLA championship in the midwest, south, and west provides an opportunity to attract people to lacrosse. The MCLA can lead the expansion of lacrosse. Respect from the establishment will only come with better competition - that means scheduling games/scrimmages against east coast teams at their homes. Playing these guys on the road, is almost like it didn't happen. It may be reported in your school papers and websites, but they don't mention it when they get back home. Beating a team infront of their fans, the east coast fans, is the only way you'll get respect from the establishment. (potentially a little overstated, i'll admit)

[Campbell]

I think an MCLA Championship back east might generate some interest, but probably not enough to warrant moving it there. I think the nice thing about having it within the regions the schools competing are in is that players, parents, and fans have more of a vested interest in the schools playing. Not all of them of course, but certainly an LSA team is probably going to draw more fans in Dallas than in Boston.

It sounds like Dallas was really nice as far as the facilities and the staff, maybe there needs to be more local marketing to draw out the fans. However, in the future I think Chicago or Denver would be excellent venues for the championship if the right facilities can be found (and at the right price). In fact, I'm surprised they haven't been there before, but maybe there is a reason for that. As far as central location, Chicago and Denver are both major transportation hubs, so that shouldn't be an issue. Add to that, the RMLC and the WCLL always have a couple of teams in the Nationals and it seems reasonable to hold the championship in one of those regions.

[buffalowill]

Los Angeles? The Home Depot Center perhaps. The first ever CIF-SS championship between Palos Verdes and Foothill-Santa Ana drew VERY well there. The sport is just exploding in numbers in the Greater Los Angeles region and Orange County...probably growing at the fastest rate of any region in California. The CIF Southern Section (Greater LA/OC) already has the most varsity teams out of any section in the state, with a few more teams slated for CIF status next season!

[NELAX21]

I mean if we wanted to go that route Nebraska would be the most ideal, centrally located place for the nation, but would the event be best suited there?

hey, you never know with Nebraskans, they just might come out and support the games... well as long as someone on the field is wearing red so they can match to one teams and know who to root for.

[woulax23]

I mean if we wanted to go that route Nebraska would be the most ideal, centrally located place for the nation, but would the event be best suited there?

hey, you never know with Nebraskans, they just might come out and support the games... well as long as someone on the field is wearing red so they can match to one teams and know who to root for.

Point taken, MCLA Admin. keep Nebraska slated for possible natinals site for spring of '09 please.

[Ravaging Beast]

Another plus for Denver...The women's tournament is held there. I know that guys were drooling over any woman with all body parts intact in Dallas. It made some of the stat girls seem like goddesses. We all know that female spectators play a major role in good lacrosse.

[Timbalaned]

Another plus for Denver...The women's tournament is held there. I know that guys were drooling over any woman with all body parts intact in Dallas. It made some of the stat girls seem like goddesses. We all know that female spectators play a major role in good lacrosse.

yeah but in Dallas it wasn't necessary to have all your body parts intact to have girls drooling over you, so that is a plus as well.

[LAXDawg14]

my 2 cents as a landscape architect specializing in infill turf [most people know it as field turf]

the synthetic fields @ pizza hut park are poorly constructed. poor grading and the seams of the turf are poorly constructed.
this comes mostly from over use and lack of maintenance.

the fields @ pizza hut park are from the company Sprinturf and I had lunch with the Rep from that company saying that it was the installation was the problem of field, not their product

[Andy Sharp]

the synthetic fields @ pizza hut park are poorly constructed. poor grading and the seams of the turf are poorly constructed. this comes mostly from over use and lack of maintenance.

I had heard that the turf field with the stands would be undergoing maintenance shortly after the tournament. I don't know about the others, but that's what I heard.

[Jeff Harlos]

a long time ago, Tony Scazzero, head coach of Texas A&M lacrosse

told me meeting on August 18, they will announce site of 2008

MCLA tournament.


I have not heard anything from meeting on August 18.

no meeting on August 18 ???


when is the meeting that will announce site of 2008 MCLA

tournament ?


Thank you




jeff
a great fan of BYU lacrosse

[OAKS]

If you check out the General Forum, there is a thread about upcoming MCLA Changes. It was indicated that the 2008 tournament will be in Dallas at Pizza Hut Park again.

You can check it out the thread here: http://forums.collegelax.us/viewtopic.p ... 7&start=75