While the NJCAA oversees most of the junior college athletics in the country, there are enough Junior and Community Colleges in California, and the state is big enough, to have their very own athletic association, called the California Community College Athletic Association, or the CCCAA.

While the CCCAA has not officially endorsed lacrosse, and the CJCLA is not part of the CCCAA, this is a huge move for the West Coast as many more players will be able to continue their careers in college, new players can be introduced to the game at another level, and it could eventually turn into an excellent feeder program for local MCLA teams.

An interesting note about the CJCLA is that they will compete in the Fall semester, instead of the Spring, and for a number of reasons, this is a truly interesting move.

First off, it follows in the footsteps of Diablo Valley College, which is the first JuCo program in California. DVC has run their seasons in the Fall, and they have found that this works well for the students, so the other teams are following their lead.

The second big opportunity that a Fall season presents is for kids who wanted to play MCLA lacrosse, but didn’t have the grades. By spending a fall semester working on academics, and playing lacrosse, it gives local kids a second chance to make it in to a 4-year college.

At the VERY least, it gives another growing swath of the lacrosse community another outlet for competition and improvement, and we always love to see that!

Diablo Valley will not be the only team in the CJCLA either. American River College and Santa Rosa Community College are also slated to have programs this year, and schools like Cuesta College have also shown interest. As long as clubs or programs are recognized by their school, they can join the league.

I got in touch with Matt Blamey, the President of the CJCLA, and he had this to say:

I am very passionate about the junior college athletics mission. There is a huge demand in California for high-level lacrosse at the junior college level. We are working hard to create the foundation and follow the lead of Diablo Valley College. In a very short time, the dominoes will fall and we will see competitive JUCO lacrosse programs all over the state.

When it comes to expanding JuCo, Matt knows what he is talking about. He was the founder and first coach at Northern Virginia CC, one of the newer NJCAA programs back East, which was also the first JuCo program in all of Virginia.

Here is a short excerpt from the Press Release on the CJCLA website:

The primary goal of the CJCLA is to give junior college players a virtual-varsity athletic experience during their junior college years and assist those same student-athletes in fulfilling their dreams of moving on to the 4-year institution of their choice. By providing student-athletes with a regular-season structure, championship tournament, and individual accolades, the CJCLA will give junior college student-athletes an opportunity to continue to compete in the sport that they love while furthering their education.

The official CJCLA season will run during the fall semester, with the first CJCLA championship weekend to be held in December 2013 at Diablo Valley College in Concord, CA. More information will be posted to the CJCLA website (www.cjcla.org) as details are made available. Any interested prospective CJCLA programs are encouraged to contact the CJCLA board directly at info@cjcla.org.

Contact for information:
Matt Blamey, President
California Junior College Lacrosse Association
mblamey@cjcla.org
www.cjcla.org

I’m thrilled to see the establishment of this league, and I hope the CCCAA considers officially adding lacrosse in the near future. I would also LOVE to see some sort of All-Star game, or friendly match up, between the NJCAA and CJCLA down the line. Extra exposure for the JuCo game is great, and the JuCo Report is now a year round post!

Grow The Game!

Main Photo Credit: Gilda Rottman

This week’s POTW comes to us from an excellent effort by Senior midfielder Braxton Campbell, who notched two goals in this semifinal match-up against the BYU Cougars of Provo.

What do you think? Did this tip toe effort go in? We think yes. Cecil has been the one of the official MCLA photographers since 2007 and does great work for the league. Check out all of his work at the Athletic Image.

Have a photo you want to share with the lacrosse world? Drop it in our Tipline!

Staats led OCC in total points, with 156. OCC played 18 games, which means Staats averaged 8.67 points… per game. Incredible numbers, which also led all of the NJCAA. Staats won two national titles at OCC, and will be playing at Syracuse next year. He was previously named the NJCAA Attackman of the Year, as well as the Region 3 Player of the Year. Staats hails from Six Nations.

Warren Hill was a freshman for OCC, and the goalie delivered immediately. He was a backbone to a stout Lazer defense, and was rewarded with Region 3 Defensive Player of the Year, and NJCAA Goalie of the Year before winning the Defensive MVP award. Hill attended the Hill Academy in Toronto before enrolling at OCC.

Tommy Gilligan snapped a stellar shot of this Duke dogpile after the final whistle blew at Lincoln Financial Field on Memorial Day.

You can’t help but feel happy for these young men, all their hardwork and heart finally paying off with a NCAA D1 Championship victory!

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I don’t think it was a surprise to anyone when Rob Pannell won the Tewaaraton Award this year. But what was a surprise was the way this season played out for Cornell… and now that I think about it… the season played out surprisingly for just about everybody.

Think about Duke for example, the underdog of their Semifinals AND Championship games, and they ended up winning. Duke started off very SLOWLY as well, and lost their regular season home opener to Denver 12-14. Duke battled back and forth the next few games in a win loss pattern. Once game 7 rolled around though, Duke buckled down and took care of business and went on to win almost every other game on their schedule, only losing to North Carolina in the ACC Semifinals. Duke then, as we all know, went on to win everything. It’s safe to say Duke was the poster child for all “underdogs” this year.

Moving on to Syracuse, the other underdog. At the beginning of the year critics didn’t see the ‘Cuse team beyond Jojo Marasco, especially when Nicky Galasso went down. In the end the team was much more than just him – everyone from Loy to Cometti contributed and found a role. They were so exciting to watch during the tournament, pulling off the same amazing last minute wins in crucial games. There was always a reason Cuse could lose, but they won, and almost brought another title back to Upstate.

Now that we’re on the subject of the tournament, let’s talk about the new guys, Penn State. PSU was new to the Top 10 of D1 this year, and in the beginning no one even gave them a chance. So Penn State did what anybody would do: they set out to prove everybody wrong. They ended up going undefeated in their conference, and had an overall record of 12-5.

Penn State was good enough to earn a spot in the tournament after dropping their conference title game to Towson. They went all out all year, and made HUGE leaps, but lost to Yale 10-7 in the first round. Yale is another underdog team. Who picked them to win the Ivy again? VERY few people. But in 2013, anything can happen!

Photo Credit: Mike LaCrosse

Let’s also take a moment to talk about a team that didn’t make the tournament, and one that fell in a shocking first round battle. Going along with the underdog theme, these were the teams that made the other teams underdogs. When you think of elite college teams, almost instantly, Hopkins and Maryland should pop into your head.

This year is weird for both of those teams, firstly because only one of them made the tournament. Hopkins started off the season strong with three consecutive wins. Their final record was 9-5,and  this includes losses from Princeton, Syracuse, and Loyola. They missed the cut in the end, stopping their 41 consecutive appearances in the tournament.

On the other hand Maryland made the tournament but their time was cut short… very short. For a long time Maryland was the front runner and fan favorite to win it all. They won every away game, and finished with a record of 10-4. Going into the first round of the tournament no one saw what was about to come next for the Terps. They lost to Cornell by 8 points in the end, and it was a shocker.

Enough of D1 though, next stop is some good ol’ D2 lacrosse. I think the stand out underdog would have to be Limestone. Limestone started of the season ranked  3rd and in the end they ended up a spot higher at 2nd. They only had two losses, one being to Mercyhurst and the other to Le Moyne. Their shot per game averaged out at about 38 and goals at about 15. Now barring that conversion rate, less than a 1:2 ratio of shots to goals, it pretty incredible they only lost two games in the entire regular season. They had a fabulous season for what their stats showed, and almost made the finals, losing in the semis 18-17 in OT to Mercyhurst.

Moving right along now, we take a trip to D3 to take a look at two teams, Nazareth and Stevenson. Stevenson won the title this year in an action-packed game over RIT. Stevenson came in with the odds against them being ranked fourth, and needing to overcome Salisbury’s recent dominance, as well as Dickinson’s perfect regular season. A powerful second half drove them past an extremely talented RIT team to win it all. They only had a total of two losses the entire season. Statistic wise they had amazing clears, ground balls and face-offs. Each of these stat’s percentages were over .500.

The bigger surprise from D-3 though had to be Nazareth. Nazareth’s overall record was 15-5. Nazareth’s stats aren’t all that impressive, and they don’t really show up on the season scoreboard. The primary goalie for Nazareth Scott Brown, who was a huge part of the team’s success. His save percentage was over 50% and the goals against him was only about nine per game. Few people picked Naz to improve this much in 2013, and while they didn’t do what Stevenson did, they proved the Underdog is never truly out of the running.

So what can we all draw from this? Well stats can tell the truth and a lie at the same time, and any team can still seemingly do anything despite what’s against them. Lastly, always expect the unexpected. This college season had it’s ups and downs, but in the end, it didn’t matter what the number next to your team was. The only number that mattered in the end was the number on the scoreboard after the last whistle was blown.

Denver To Big East 2014

Denver will now play lacrosse in the Big East, and this move is a big one. Tierney just signed a five year contract extension with the school, and the Big East gets another big time program, just as it seemed teams were leaving the BE in droves. The conference will now be made up of Denver, Georgetown, Villanova, Providence, Marquette, and St. John’s. Rutgers remains in the big East for the 2014 season, and then the Scarlet Knights will leave the Big East in 2015, for the Big Ten, following Syracuse, which makes the move in 2014.

Some, particularly out West, are dismayed by this move. They say, “Why would Denver, a team in the WEST, play in the Big EAST? How does that make sense?” Well, it makes as much sense as Denver playing in the Eastern College Athletic Conference, doesn’t it? At the very least, it’s a lateral move. At its best, it pits Denver against other big time sports schools, instead of the smaller ECAC schools, and that seems like a pretty good fit for the NCAA’s top Western program.

What Happens To the ECAC?

With Denver out, and the Big Ten now a reality, the ECAC seems to be going the way of the Dodo. Michigan and Ohio State will be in the Big Ten, as that is their normal home. Loyola said they will join the Patriot League in 2014. This means that by 2016, at the latest, the ECAC would be down to Bellarmine, Hobart, Air Force, and Fairfield. That is far fewer teams than the ECAC would need to keep going.

Bellarmine is far enough South that they could join the Atlantic Sun conference, and probably do quite well against newer, Southern teams, and picking up AQ bids. I can’t see them staying. Fairfield could head back to the MAAC, where they would likely be the best team in the conference, and go to the tourney a lot. I don’t see how that hurts them. Hobart would be an excellent fit for a number of conferences, like the NEC (who will need teams), Patriot, America East, or even Big East.

Unfortunately for the Falcons of Air Force, this leaves them as the odd team out, which makes some sense, seeing as they are the only Western team outside of Denver. With a couple more moves by the other ECAC teams, AFA quickly become the newest, and ONLY, independent in all of D1 lacrosse. This is a tough route for a program that seemed to be on the rise. Maybe AFA will join the Big Ten for lacrosse as well? They could use the numbers, at least initially, and are located closer to Colorado than most purely Eastern conferences. The ECAC could try to pick up some new teams, but who?

Hopkins To The Big Ten?

Hopkins is making an announcement today, but the news is out: Hop is headed to the Big Ten for lacrosse. This means Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State (confirmed for 2015), AND Hopkins will all be in the same conference. With Maryland joining up, and Rutgers following the next year, the Big Ten is poised to become an INSTANT power conference in lacrosse. Watch out ACC!

Hopkins has been an independent in lacrosse for 130 years. This is a big move for Hop, but it’s really a HUGE tell-tale sign for the rest of us. Simply “being Hopkins” is not good enough anymore to dominate in college lacrosse. They need a conference, they need a home, and they want a shot at an AQ and an at-large. It means the road has gotten tougher for the best programs, and this is a good thing for lacrosse. It means Hopkins is now human, and that the playing field is starting to level. It was a move out of necessity, and I think it bodes well for the game.

The End Game

While all of this re-alignment makes for great headlines within the lacrosse world, I’m much more curious to see what it will do for the game overall. Will Big Ten lacrosse becoming a reality help push other Big Ten schools towards picking up the sport? Will we see Michigan State bring their varsity program back? Will Northwestern finally add a men’s team? Could a school like Indiana, Illinois, or Wisconsin decide to make the D1 jump? If it wasn’t at least a topic of discussion before, it should be now. And that’s a step.

Now, I don’t except to see truly big changes in 2014. Sure, we see some moves being made, and a Terp-less ACC will be bizarre, but I don’t think the focus of these moves was that short-sighted. In fact, it seems like the focus is NOT on the next year at all, or even the next couple of years, but well down the road.

I’m stating the above because if the focus of all these moves IS on next year, things really don’t look that great.

The Big East does not look awesome right now as a conference, and neither does the Big Ten. Both look OK. The ACC seems to still be in shambles in terms of numbers for an AQ (but not talent), and the ECAC is crumbling away as we speak. Teams outside of the “big time” are looking homeless, and no one seems sure where they belong. Conferences are waxing and waning in power and the number of teams, and AQ bids, seem up for grabs like they have not been for years, possibly ever.

So if this isn’t great for the game right now AND it doesn’t show immediate benefit for everyone, why is it all going down? It’s because people in the D1 lacrosse world can feel the sport reaching a critical mass, and they don’t want to be left behind once it does.

Think of it this way: If your team just waits it out, and keeps playing in a small or dying conference, you might take an AQ or two, and have a couple of nice, successful seasons. But once that conference really dries up, and all the other top conferences are filled, where do you go? Nowhere. You become the new independent and then languish. OR you can make moves now, and team up with BIG TIME schools in BIG TIME conferences, and get to work on keeping your program competitive.

Teams are deciding whether they want to be BIG TIME right now, so pay attention. The next 10 years of set up are all being laid out… can you see how it will all finish up?

Since traditional is still pretty limited at the D1 level, we have two very simple criteria points for this team:

1) The player uses traditional for part, or all, of the 2013 season, and not just in scrimmages.

2) The player sees solid time for their team. It’s kind of like an Academic All-American selection. Do you play a lot? Do you get good grades? You can make the team. Except grades are leather.

That would seem to settle it! Now on to the team…

2013 College All Traditional Team

Bobby Tyler – UMass – Midfield

4 assists in game 1 of the year, using a nifty Pita, in a 16-9 win over Army, put Bobby on the team immediately. He met the criteria. Done deal. Wonder who strings that stick… Seriously. Thanks to Ray McCarthy for the tip!

I like that he is wearing last year’s gloves as well.

Photo Credit: Tommy Gilligan - www.tommygilligan.com

Wells Stanwick – Hopkins – Attack

We know who strings Wells’ stick: his father. Stanwick boys use leathers, and it might be the best family lacrosse tradition going on in the game right now. Rain or shine, it’s traditional time. Wells was a preseason lock.

It’s comforting to see a Stanwick with traditional.

Photo Credit: 24 Seven Lax

Joe Fazio – Syracuse – LSM

Fazio scored a sweet goal in the title game with his traditional longstick. He rocked it all season, and we love him for it.

Cal Paduda – Syracuse - F/O 

Paduda got great reps at the face off spot for Cuse as the season went on, and seeing as he is only a freshman, we could get three more years of traditional from this guy.

Ryan Ambler – Princeton - Attack

Ambler didn’t use traditional all season, but he did use it at times. When Ambler was playing with the Froccaro brothers, it looked a bit like Princeton back in the day. I’m sure Hubbard, Hess, and Massey were proud!

Jeff Froccaro – Princeton – Midfield

Jake Froccaro – Princeton – Midfield

Both Jake and Jeff get their sticks strung up by Jimmy Butler. Makes sense why they are so darned PERFECT!

Derek DeJoe – Syracuse – Midfield

Man up shooter, rocking traditional for the Orange.

Will Corrigan – Notre Dame – Midfield

The coach’s son, rocking traditional, and being awesome.

Miles Thompson – Albany – Attack

He used it all season, and performed extremely well! I’d love to see Lyle and Ty use traditional more as well and maybe they will! Jeremy Thompson seems to be using it again in the MLL. Yay!

Dan McNulty – Jacksonville – Midfield

McNulty took a ton of the team’s draws this year, taking all but nine for the Dolphins all season. Traditional? Check!

Harry Kutner – Loyola – Midfield

Kutner played for Loyola this year as a Grad Student, and was at St. John’s before that. His traditional is beautiful. Thanks to Craig Chase for point this one out!

Traditional Team Of The Year: Syracuse

The Orange has a FoGo, LSM, Man Up guy, and a couple back ups all using traditional this year, and many of them using it all year long. The Orange might not have the hardware this year for NCAA lacrosse, but they definitely take the title for MOST TRADITIONAL on a team. Well done, Orange. Way to lead the way!

Honorable Mention:

Drew Federico – Fairfield – Attack

Fedrico used one last year, and in high school, but we couldn’t find any photos of him this year, which is extremely weird. Anyone know if he used it again in 2013? We’ll keep him on for now!

Josh Dionne – Duke – Attack

Dionne didn’t use traditional in a game, but he was spotted using some in a scrimmage against Navy. Plus they just won the title, and Dionne has at least three traditional sticks. The one below is a Greg Rose special.

We still need photo proof from an actual game…

Photo Credit: Maureen Lingle - www.MaureenLingle.com

Griffin Vehar – Syracuse – Defense

Griffin only played in two games this year, so he’s on the HM team, but he did use traditional, and I saw photos to prove it!

If I missed someone, let me know! Drop a comment filling me in, and if you can, add a link to a photo showing the player in question using a traditional stick! We can’t find them all, but we can certainly try!

We hope to provide you with an easy way to connect with other lacrosse fans all over the world.

This week, a hot topic has been the low attendance levels at the Final Four. Connor Wilson pointed to the high costs as a big factor in this issue, and one of you definitely agrees.

Scriff posted the following:

… Then I checked the ol’ bank statement this morning. I felt like I had been punched in the gut. $110 per ticket for 3 days (x’s 2 because I brought my better half), plus food, transportation, parking, and hotel room set me back about $800 for the weekend. I’m seriously considering not going to to next year’s final four. I have gone every year since the games were at Rutgers in 2003. I guess it was fun while it lasted.

What do YOU think? Do you see a problem with the overall cost for you and your friends to attend the Final Four? Don’t just sit there, dive in!

Sometimes in the heat of the moment, you just forget things like your car keys, your wallet, or even your lacrosse stick.

Best caption wins an Odor Gladiator. Ready, go!

This week’s photo comes to us from last week’s NCAA D2 Championship game between Le Moyne and Mercyhurst. Photo credit goes to, who else? Tommy Gilligan!

Have a photo that’s worth putting a caption on? Send it to our Tipline!

The event went down in DC last night, and was well attended. But you probably knew all of that too, so how can we help you learn something new today? How about we focus on the proper pronunciation of the word, Tewaaraton?

Tewaaraton : De – wa – ah – lah – doon. Say it with me.

Niá:wen  to Ty Thompson for helping me out with the proper pronunciation!

The Winners

All of the players nominated on the men’s and women’s sides were extremely deserving, and at the beginning of this season, there was no way to predict who would come away with the hardware. Pannell was certainly a favorite heading in, as was Schwarzmann (she has won it the year before), but preseason favorites mean nothing when it comes to the Tewaaraton, unless you and your team deliver all year long.

Pannell and Schwarzmann did just that, and in the end, the Foundation determined that they were the two most outstanding players this year. Pannell broke the all-time D1 scoring record and led his team to another Final Four appearance. An interesting note: Many have said Pannell is now the all-time NCAA scoring leader, including the Tewaaraton press release, but that is false. D3′s Jason Coffman (Salisbury) holds that record still with 455 points, 101 more than RP3.

Schwarzmann, unlike Pannell, is not seen as solely an offensive beast. She led her team in GBs this year, and finished second in goals, assists, and points, and she did it all from the midfield. She is on the US women’s team, and led Maryland to a spot in the finals. She finished her career third all-time at Maryland for goals and points, which is incredibly impressive, especially when you remember she played midfield the whole time!

Next Year – 2014

Since this year’s early season favorite won the Tewaaraton in 2013, maybe we can make some predictions on who will be a favorite next year…

Lyle Thompson – Thompson almost broke the single season D1 record for points, and has now amassed a total of 113 points as a sophomore, and 38 as a freshman. That means he has 151 total points, and would only need to crest the 100 point plateau twice to be right on Pannell’s heels for the all-time mark. With Miles and Ty on attack with him, I have a hard time seeing that NOT happen!

Mark Cockerton – Do you really think UVA is going to miss the tourney two years in a row? I doubt it. And Cockerton could have a huge senior season. If Chris LaPierre comes back and has eligibility, he has a good shot for UVA as well.

Kieran McArdle – St. John’s needs to improve if McArdle wants to have a real shot, but looking at pure playing ability, McArdle has it!

Austin Kaut – Let’s face it, if Penn State makes a serious run next year, Kaut will play a huge role, and a goalie has never won it before. This could be the time to break that streak! Kaut needs to continue to play well, but really, PSU just needs to make a Final Four, and then Kaut is in the running. It’s a big ask, but certainly possible.

Now I’ve given you my top guys… who else do YOU think is a strong candidate to win the 2014 Tewaaraton?

So let’s think just a little more creatively, and discuss where some of the mistakes are actually being made, instead of just rehashing old excuses, and couching every criticism in “People are saying“, all while subtly trying to make Baltimore seem like the best option in the future.

There are some relatively simple issues at play here, and it always shocks me that certain sources just can’t grasp what is happening…

BIG REASONS

Here are the big reasons why attendance is going down:

It’s Too Expensive – Tickets cost too much money. People love to hint at this, but few have the stones to come out and say it: an $85 ticket for the Final Four is nothing short of OFFENSIVE. $55 for parking is a JOKE. An OFFENSIVE JOKE. Say it with me.

As a fan, I wouldn’t go to the Final Four for this reason alone. I feel like I’m being gouged by the NCAA here, and I don’t like it one bit. Oh, now I need tickets for my three kids too? Well, now I am spending $395 JUST TO GET IN THE GAME. This price gouging is AWFUL, and it is the number one reason people are not showing up. The fact that no one else will directly call the NCAA out on this practice is shameful, and shows a real lack in any journalistic integrity. This is not a time for silk gloves, it is a time to be a journalist.

No Pre-Sale One-Game Tickets – I get it, you want to sell ticket packages, but if someone wants to go to one game, they should be able to do that. If I only want to see the D2 game, or D1 games where MY team is playing, I will not pay $85 to do so. I know there are extra seats in there, the NCAA knows there are extra seats, but they won’t let me catch the one game I care about?

Yes, you can buy one game tickets when you walk up to the event for $20 (reports indicate this is true), but it’s not promoted as an option, and can not be done online, or before hand. Also, $20 is still pretty steep, is it not? It’s ONE lacrosse game, and like I said earlier, it’s not selling out. Tack on $55 for parking, and that ticket is now $75. Not a deal at all. Add in absorbent food pricing, and you’re topping $100 for a single lacrosse game.

Oh, this whole thing is a fan experience? Are you sure about that? It doesn’t seem that way to the fans. It seems like a money maker, and little else. $140 for a ticket and parking is a dead giveaway.

VERY BASIC Supply And Demand – This must have been said at a Final Four event meeting back in 2001-2:

I know! We have a very well-attended but not capacity event, so let’s move it to a bigger location, with more seats, and we’ll charge more money, while we keep the fan base relatively stagnant. That will work, right?

GENIUS! Someone needs to take Micro/Macroeconomics 101 again. More seats, higher prices, same amount of demand? That means too much supply. Come on NCAA and the source who shall not be named, this is really basic college level learning stuff! HOW ARE YOU MISSING THIS?

SMALL REASONS

Better TV? Sure! The TV experience is better than ever, but people are not NOT going because the game is on TV and ESPN uses SkyCam. They are not going because the game on TV is free, and the game in person costs you an arm and a leg. Better TV makes it easier, but going to an event in person has a certain draw to it. Always has. The real issue here is cost, and TV don’t cost nothin’! It’s used as a nice excuse smoke screen though by some.

More Lacrosse NOW – More lacrosse is good because it grows the base of fans, but more lacrosse can also fragment the community. Last year, in Boston, the local HS teams were still playing games when the FF came to town. Of course few people even mention that. In Philly, the public schools were still playing, and the same is true in New Jersey with the privates and publics. NY State playoffs are ALSO going on right now. Are kids going to miss their own games and practices to go to the Final Four? NOPE. Are their parents and families and friends? NOPE.

The above also has to do with location. Why pick a location where HS lacrosse is still going on in a major way? How do you expect kids to play in THEIR games, and attend your games, at the same time. We’re talking basics of temporal reality here: it’s impossible.

There is more lacrosse than ever, more high school lacrosse than ever, and longer seasons than ever. Then when you think of camps, and all the elite travel teams, tryouts, etc, it makes perfect sense why people no longer have the time to GO watch a game. Again, the source takes no responsibility for their part in this, and just throws their hands up like they’re confused.

Think about it, just a bit. When there is a highly promoted event almost every weekend of the Spring, does the Final Four retain all of its luster? Why go to the FF, I already went to the Big City Classic. I saw lacrosse in a big stadium already this year, so the FF is out. It makes sense and yet it is rarely talked about. Wonder why?

The Low Attendance issue is actually very simple.

It has EVERYTHING to do with ludicrous ticket prices, fan-unfriendly pricing schemes for ticket packages, and stadiums that are too big to create an intimate event. By keeping with this methodology over the past ten years, and allowing more large scale events to place during the year, the NCAA has driven fans away from the Final Four in droves.

Lacrosse is growing, but if the fans aren’t kept happy and excited, your event will suffer. The Final Four Attendance Issue demonstrates this perfectly. The above may seem harsh, but I’ve been to four or five Final Fours in my day, from the late 90s to a couple years back, and my desire to attend in person has gone down with time, and it’s got NOTHING to do with the play on the field.

I simply won’t pay the NFL level ticket prices to be in a third full stadium. I hate shelling out $50 to park my car in a giant lot. I don’t like paying $10 for a coke, and $8 for a hot dog. I don’t like lacrosse being “just another event” in a stadium… I want it to be their biggest event of the year, like it was at Rutgers, or down at Byrd. I’m tired of pro stadiums and pro pricing. I want lacrosse back, and I want it back in the passionate, personal way it used to be done.

The sport may reach a point when we need a 60,000 person stadium for the championships, but until we start FILLING 30,000 person stadiums, are we not getting way ahead of ourselves? Lower the costs, make it a true experience, and attendance will climb again, no matter where the event is held.

Here’s a little breakdown of each player, as borrowed from the Tewaaraton Finalists Press Release.

Marcus Holman recorded an ACC-best 74 points in the regular season, becoming North Carolina’s alltime leading scorer in the  process. His 4.93 points per game rank fourth nationally. A senior attackman from Baltimore, Md., Holman was named ACC Offensive Player of the Year, first-team All-ACC and the ACC Tournament Most Outstanding Player.

JoJo Marasco, the 2013 Big East Midfielder of the Year and a unanimous first-team All-Big East selection, paced Syracuse in points (53) and assists (35) during the regular season, the latter breaking Paul Gait’s program record. A senior from Yorktown Heights, N.Y., Marasco led the Orange to the top seed in the NCAA Tournament.

2011 Tewaaraton Award finalist Rob Pannell ranks third and fourth in the nation in points (5.36) and assists (2.93) per game, respectively. A senior from Smithtown, N.Y., Pannell earned Ivy League Player of the Year and first-team All-Ivy honors. He is currently the third-leading scorer in men’s Division I history (332 points), and holds the Cornell and Ivy League all-time scoring records.

Midfielder Tom Schreiber led Princeton in scoring for a third consecutive season, tallying a team-best 32 assists and 60 points. A junior from East Meadow, N.Y., Schreiber earned his third first-team All-Ivy League selection and recorded at least three points in every contest this season, ranking second and third in the Ivy League in assists (2.13) and points (4.00) per game, respectively.

The first Native American to be named a Tewaaraton Award finalist, Albany sophomore midfielder Lyle Thompson leads the nation in points (108) and assists (62) per game. A member of the Onondaga Nation, he was named America East Player of the Year, first-team All-America East and the America East Tournament Most Outstanding Player. Thompson’s 108 points this season rank third in NCAA men’s Division I history, trailing all-time leader Steve Marohl (1992) by six points.

Who do YOU think will win the Tewaaraton this year?

It’s pretty. It’s almost TOO pretty. Thankfully, there is no such thing.

Today, we’re back with a Live Blog, where Chris (and Connor) will keep you updated and entertained, and where Tommy will wow us with game photos as this title tilt goes on.

Looks like we’re in for another BEAUTY of a day!

Check in close to game time for more…

Game Photos in the Post.

Commentary from Chris and Connor in the Comments! JOIN US!

Pre Game photos:

1st Half Photos. Quite a game!

Second half photos…

Duke wins 16-10. Blue Devils really brought the heat in the third and fourth!

Rosie gets chummy with some ballers.

Tommy Gilligan delivers. Again. He sent over some top quality shots from the Mercyhurst – Le Moyne game while it was going on. Almost as impressive as Le Moyne’s one goal win!

1st half photos from RIT – Stevenson. We’re LIVE!

This one has turned into a shoot out! What else did you expect?

Stevenson goes up big, RIT goes on a huge run, and then Stevenson caps it off with great effort in the last ten minutes to win it.

It’s their’ first title ever in men’s lacrosse. Welcome to an elite club, Mustangs! Were these the best two teams in the country this year (in D3)? This game says YES.