The NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championships are returning to Baltimore in 2010 and 2011.
The 2010 Memorial Day weekend will mark the first time M&T Bank Stadium has played host to the fast-growing event since 2007.
The three-day event drew more than 110,000 people in 2007 and
generated an economic impact of more than $15 million to the region,
according to city officials.
The popularity of the event created stiff competition from other cities.
Philadelphia hosted the championship, which includes the Division-I
men’s final four, in 2005 and 2006. Gillette Stadium in Foxborough,
Mass., is home to the event this year and will again play host in May.
A group led by the Baltimore Ravens that included the Maryland Stadium Authority and Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development led the charge in bringing the event back to Charm City, considered by many to be a nexus of lacrosse popularity.
Back in December, the group made a one-hour presentation to the NCAA
selection committee pitching M&T Bank Stadium’s location near the
Inner Harbor as well as hotels and restaurants.
Baltimore competed with Denver, the Meadowlands in New Jersey and
Gillette Stadium -- which is just south of Boston -- for the 2010-2012
event.
The Ravens will host and manage the event, along with: Johns Hopkins University; the University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Loyola College; and Towson University.
“We are elated the NCAA Lacrosse National Championships will be
returning to Maryland,” Gov. Martin O’Malley said in a statement. “Our
state is recognized nationally as the cradle of lacrosse with its
storied history, perennial powerhouse teams and loyal fan base.”
