MIAA & TOWSON UNIVERSITY REACH AGREEMENT FOR BASKETBALL & LACROSSE FINALS

by Lem Satterfield  Even though a frenetic, standing-room-only crowd of around 5,000 was packed into UMBC stadium for last spring's MIAA/STX A Conference lacrosse championship, it will take nearly twice as many fans to create a similarly crammed atmosphere at the 2008 title game in May. That�??s because the championships will be played in the 10,000 capacity venue that is Towson University�??s Johnny Unitas Stadium, which this fall will debut a brand new synthetic turf playing field in addition to playing host to the November MIAA B Conference Football Championship Game. Towson University reached an agreement last week to host the MIAA/STX�??s A, B and C Conference lacrosse finals, as well as all three of the league�??s basketball finals at Towson Center in Februrary, including the A conference semi-finals during the week beginning February 17. Credit for �??securing the best venue with firm contracts for both basketball and lacrosse�?� goes to the school�??s new athletic director, Mike Hermann, and Jeff Dudley, president of The Sports Marketing Institute, said MIAA director Rick Diggs.

Towson University�??s Johnny Unitas Stadium, which will debut its brand new synthetic turf playing field this fall, will play host to the MIAA B Conference Football Championship Game in November as well as the MIAA/STX Lacrosse Championships in May.

�?�The MIAA draws probably the largest crowd in state high school sports for its lacrosse championships, drawing as many as 8000 fans. The A conference basketball championships, which for the past two years have been played at member school facilities, have sold out,�?� Diggs said.

�??The most exciting part of the agreement puts the MIAA /STX lacrosse championships on Towson's new synthetic turf,�?� Diggs said,  �??with the A conference semi-finals to be held on Friday, May 16 and the finals for all three conferences on Tuesday, May 21.�?�

Last year�??s A Conference lacrosse final was the source of anger for many fans after having to be moved to UMBC within a week of the title game when Johns Hopkins �??withdrew the use of its facilities a month prior to�?� the lacrosse championships as a result of a change in the college�??s graduation ceremonies.
 
The B and C finals were moved to Calvert Hall�??s stadium, but other than UMBC, no local college venue was available. Playing at UMBC �??overwhelmed that facility,�?� said Diggs, adding, �??that drew the ire of many MIAA lacrosse fans, unhappy with the crowded facility, parking and lack of concessions.�?�

Diggs said  �??Mike Hermann and his desire to host the private school events was a major factor in securing the contracts,�?� as was Dudley�??s five-year association with the MIAA.

�??One of our goals has been to secure a single location to host a majority of the MIAA championships,�?� said Dudley, a McDonogh graduate and a former coach at teacher at St. Paul�??s.  �??Having the MIAA basketball and lacrosse championships at Towson University is a solid move in the right direction.  The athletes, coaches and fans will all enjoy the experience of the championships in Johnny Unitas Stadium and the Towson Arena.�?�