Foxboro on for 08' and 09'

Thursday, January 17 -- At a teleconference early this afternoon, the NCAA Divisions I, II, and III Men's Lacrosse Committees announced what many had suspected for some time: The site of this year's men's championship - Gillette Stadium at Foxboro, Massachusetts - was selected to repeat as the tournament site in 2009.

The announcement was made by Tim Pavlechko, Senior Associate Director of Athletics at Bucknell University, who is the chair of the Division I Men's Lacrosse Committee. Questions were fielded primarily by John Williams, the NCAA's Director of Championships, and Phil Buttafuoco, with the Kraft Sports Group and also the Executive Director of the Intercollegiate Men's Lacrosse Coaches Association.

When asked by LaxPower's Larry Feldman why the committee was risking a second year in Foxboro rather than waiting to see how well the site performs this spring, Williams and Buttafuoco cited the growth of lacrosse in the region, noting that the number of players in eastern Massachusetts is as large as it is in the metro Baltimore-DC area and that the Eastern Massachusetts chapter of US Lacrosse is the largest in the country. They also mentioned the presence of practice facilities, space for the YES Clinic, and the emergence of Patriot Place, a collection of hotels, restaurants, and retail shops near the stadium that is expected to be completed well in advance of the championships in 2009.

Williams and Buttafuoco addressed the criticism that Foxboro is located between Boston and Providence and therefore may not be accessible as desired by observing that it was not a difficult commute from Boston to Foxboro and that fans would be able to enjoy the many benefits of that city while also enjoying the tournament site.

Thus far, 26,000 tickets have been sold for the tournament, which is ahead of the pace in previous years. The site selection process was delayed this year, and the NCAA hopes to make decisions for future championships earlier. The possibility of holding the tournament in the Midwest or West was discussed, and Williams and Buttafuoco observed that in the near term they were investigating the idea of holding a quarterfinal at a site outside the East Coast.

For the 2009 event, bids were made by Boston/Foxboro, Baltimore, and Philadelphia. As the latter sites had been given more than one year to host the event, the committee wanted to give Foxboro that opportunity to build "upon the momentum and excitement that Boston has created for the 2008."

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INDIANAPOLIS -- The NCAA Divisions I, II, and III Men's Lacrosse Committees have selected Boston to serve as the host for the 2009 Divisions I, II, and III Men's Lacrosse Championships. The Division I committee also announced the quarterfinal sites for the 2008 and 2009 championships.

"The NCAA Men's Lacrosse Committees are pleased to announce our decision to award the NCAA Division I, II, and III Lacrosse Championships to Boston in 2009, marking the second consecutive year they will host the championship weekend," said Tim Pavlechko, chair of the Division I Men's Lacrosse Committee. "We received several attractive bids each presenting exciting opportunities in future years for showcasing Division I, II and III student-athletes competing for their respective championships at the same venue. In the end, the committees were committed to building upon the momentum and excitement that Boston has created for the 2008 NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championships. The Kraft Family and staff of the New England Patriots, along with Harvard University and the Massachusetts Sports Commission have demonstrated their overwhelming commitment and enthusiasm for men's lacrosse and we look forward to working together in hosting a first-class championship event at Gillette Stadium for the student-athletes, fans and all those associated with the sport."

The 2008 NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championships, which consist of the Division I semifinals and final, the Division II final and the Division III final, will be hosted May 24-26 by the Eastern College Athletic Conference and Harvard, at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts, home of the National Football League's New England Patriots. It will mark the furthest north the championships have been held since 1991 when Syracuse University hosted the event.

The quarterfinal sites in 2008 will have the Southeast region hosted May 17 by the U.S. Naval Academy at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md., and the Northeast region hosted May 18 by Cornell University at Schoellkopf Field in Ithaca, N.Y. In 2009, Hofstra University will host the Northeast region quarterfinals at Shuart Stadium in Hempstead, N.Y. The Southeast region will be held at Navy for the third consecutive year.