"They were with us from the beginning when they were the first NFL stadium [to host the Final Four in 2003], and they've had that commitment," said Tim Pavlechko, a senior associate athletic director at Bucknell University who chairs the selection committee. "I think as a committee and as a sport, it's important for us to look at this championship as something that we're trying to continue to grow and take it to levels above where we are now. And we know bringing it to Baltimore will certainly help us achieve more of those goals."
Nurturing the sport's growth played a role in the NCAA's decision to send the men's Final Four to Philadelphia in 2005 and 2006 and Boston in 2008 and 2009. The 2008 title game had the largest crowd (48,970) to watch a tournament final, but last month's semifinals drew just 36,594 - the smallest crowd to watch the event since it was moved to professional stadiums after the 2002 season.
NCAA officials said a factor in the declining attendance was a poor economic climate and cited similar falling numbers at sporting events such as the Preakness and major league baseball games. But Kessenich said Boston doesn't have the lacrosse community that Baltimore or Philadelphia has.
"There's a recession, but when you're in Boston, you're so reliant on people from outside ZIP codes," he said. "You have to fly here or drive long distances, and it's an expense. Baltimore, Philly, New Jersey give more day-trippers an opportunity. So I'm a big fan of that. And I think the overall experience in Baltimore and Philly is better than the fan experience here. The folks here have done a great job and I love this venue, but outside of the lacrosse games, I don't think the experience lives up to what we see in Baltimore and Philly."
Baltimore has seven Division I schools within a 90-minute drive and seven Division III institutions within a three-hour commute. The city is also home to the Lacrosse Museum and National Hall of Fame, US Lacrosse and Inside Lacrosse magazine.
And Towson University has submitted a bid to host the 2010 women's lacrosse final four, also on Memorial Day weekend.
"Baltimore has such a rich lacrosse tradition, and the city really supports the sport, which is part of the reason why US Lacrosse is here," said Colleen Aungst, a US Lacrosse spokeswoman. "It's just a natural fit, and we're excited that it's going to be right here in our backyard."
