Ivy League 2019

[FannOLax]

Last year, the site of the 2018 ILT was announced in mid May; here we are four months deeper into this year and still nothing. Columbia U / Manhattan was not a resounding success... so when will we know about the 2019 ILT?

I am partial toward Yale, but still thought the "way ahead" polls may have been over-optimistic about the national champions' prospects after the graduation of Ben Reeves... then came the news of TD Ierlan's transfer to Yale. Cornell returns Teat, Petterson, McCulloch and others, and it wouldn't shock me to see the Big Red get to the 2019 Final Four. I'll go out on a limb and predict that Dartmouth will win an Ivy game in 2019; I also expect to see at least one head coaching change during, or (more likely) soon after, the 2019 season. Finally, I expect the Ivy to get at least two NCAA bids in 2019, with Yale and Cornell seeming the likely conference representatives; but don't count out anyone.

[CU88]

I am hoping that they give the Columbia/NYC location a few more years for the ILT. I think that the location makes sense for all schools and fans of the IL. Bouncing it around each year "seems fair" but doesn't work either. In ECAC Hockey, for years the trip to Boston was a treat, even if the Big Red did not make the trip, which was only once in a blue moon. But it built in habits for the fan of ECAC hockey, who figured out traffic/travel plans, where to stay and eat, etc...

[FannOLax]

I agree (and yes, I have an NYC bias). The League did some promotions with area youth lacrosse organizations, but not much more. I'd like to see Columbia / NYC again in 2019 with a bit more effort to make the event special and thus fill seats. As things stand now, the venues for the Ivy men's golf and lacrosse tournaments are still listed as "TBA."

[Mid-Lax]

Would prefer the venue of the regular season champion. While Columbia may be sort of central to the Ivy League schools, it presents logistical challenges in terms of Friday night travel and parking. Also, there was little Columbia and local attendance.

[FannOLax]

STILL no announcement. I tend to think that the longer we go with no news, the more likely it is to revert to "Site of the team with the best Ivy League record." That has been posted for the women's lax tourney; but with the men's and women's tourneys on the same dates, it could create a logistical log jam if the same school should have the best men's and women's records. Guess we'll find out when we find out.

[Can Opener]

I would vote to give the Columbia venue another two years with one big change. Let's move the first games to Saturday morning with the finals on Sunday afternoon. If NHL players can skate on back to back nights, these boys can handle that too. They played multiple games per day throughout their club tournament careers. That Sat/Sun format is MUCH fan friendlier than fighting traffic into Manhattan on Friday night. A nonstarter for most families.

[DALaxDad]

Alternatively, you can have the semi-finals at the home fields of the 1 and 2 seeds on Friday night, with the finals on Sunday in NY. Rewards having a better record in league play.

[CU88]

Alternatively, you can have the semi-finals at the home fields of the 1 and 2 seeds on Friday night, with the finals on Sunday in NY. Rewards having a better record in league play.

I like this "compromise" idea.

[Dunker]

Be serious. Nobody will make last minute plans to go to NYC for a Saturday night stay. Last minute hotel rooms cost a fortune. Play the tournament in one place and try to create some buzz.

[FannOLax]

Be serious. Nobody will make last minute plans to go to NYC for a Saturday night stay. Last minute hotel rooms cost a fortune. Play the tournament in one place and try to create some buzz.

Well, hotels are probably not the main accommodations: lots of Ivy grads live in the NYC area, and at the last tourney I met people who were staying with NYC-resident relatives; plus, NYC is within commuting distance of Princeton and Yale.

[DALaxDad]

Dunker,

No doubt it makes for greater movement by the fans of the winning teams, but logistics are stressed by not knowing where you are going until the week before. I think you will find hotel rates cheaper if made on Saturday morning than if made 2 weeks earlier, except for the theater district, and certainly cheaper than staying mid-week. For the teams, the rooms can be booked by the league well in advance and at negotiated rate. And, as is noted, NYC is commuting distance for all Ivies but Cornell and Dartmouth (well maybe Harvard, though I have gone back and forth from Providence to UPenn more than once).

[CU88]

Be serious. Nobody will make last minute plans to go to NYC for a Saturday night stay. Last minute hotel rooms cost a fortune. Play the tournament in one place and try to create some buzz.

Well, hotels are probably not the main accommodations: lots of Ivy grads live in the NYC area, and at the last tourney I met people who were staying with NYC-resident relatives; plus, NYC is within commuting distance of Princeton and Yale.

I agree. Living in DC area, we have made the day trip for games to Penn, Princeton, Lehigh, and even Ithaca. What a long drive back from campus after that NCAA loss to Ohio! But at least back then we could get pizza from the Nines for the trip home.

A day trip into the City for an ILT Championship game is easily doable.

[QuakerSouth]

Great to have this alt site up. Thanks, Matt!

Regarding the ILT, I think it was interesting to try the Columbia thing. But it was a failure. Did they not promote it enough? Is the facility/parking just too much of a hassle to deal with on a Friday night? Whatever the reasons, attendance was poor.

Additionally, I think being named the ILT host is sort of an honor. Why does Columbia get that honor above everybody else in the League? What have they done to advance the visibility and profile of college lacrosse? Ivy League lacrosse? The answer is absolutely nothing. They refuse to even field a team. I've said it for years, and others have as well: Columbia lacrosse would be a great draw. Columbia could be one of the fastest ramp-ups of any upstart lacrosse program. Look at that built-in schedule. There would be so many players who would love to play lacrosse at Columbia. And it happens to be smack in the middle of one of the country's lacrosse talent beds.

I fail to understand Columbia's unwillingness to field this team. And that lack of a team should disqualify them as host of the ILT.

Maybe you let the school who won the ILT the previous season be the host. Gives everybody plenty of time to plan, and still rewards a program and school for their effort.

[Mid-Lax]

QuakerSouth, agree with you 100% on Columbia as host, That's an interesting suggestion as to where to host the tourney (last year's winner).

[seriously?]

Columbia was a nightmare. Tailgating was pathetic. And getting your car out of the garage took FOREVER!

[DALaxDad]

I like Quaker South's idea of awarding the site to the prior year's regular season winner, though that could also result in the host not having a team in the event. But at least they play in the league.

[QuakerSouth]

The previous year's ILT winner is what my suggestion is. So the upcoming ILT would be awarded to Yale.

Yes, last year's winner may not even make the ILT, but Columbia will never make the ILT if they don't even field a team...

[Gobigred]

The previous year's ILT winner is what my suggestion is. So the upcoming ILT would be awarded to Yale.

Not after a 14-8 whipping in this year's ILT.

[FannOLax]

Great to have this alt site up. Thanks, Matt!

Regarding the ILT, I think it was interesting to try the Columbia thing. But it was a failure. Did they not promote it enough? Is the facility/parking just too much of a hassle to deal with on a Friday night? Whatever the reasons, attendance was poor.

Additionally, I think being named the ILT host is sort of an honor. Why does Columbia get that honor above everybody else in the League? What have they done to advance the visibility and profile of college lacrosse? Ivy League lacrosse? The answer is absolutely nothing.

I see your points, and also appreciate the input of others who are against Columbia hosting the ILT. However, last year's ILT was never about honoring Columbia, it was about New York City, The Big Apple, Manhattan, Bright Lights Big City, the wow factor. Of course, Columbia does have men's and women's basketball teams, yet the allure of The Big Apple hasn't been enough to land Columbia that ILT; I guess Columbia's gym doesn't have the seating capacity while Madison Square Garden is just too expensive. As for seating capacity and lacrosse, well, 3,700 fans in Yale's Reese Stadium feels like a big crowd packing the place to the rafters, but put those 3,700 next door in the Yale Bowl and the place would feel empty. Official attendance for the 2018 final between Cornell and Yale was 2,609 compared to 2,036 for the previous year's final at Reese. 2017 semi-finals drew 1,383 compared to 2,454 in NYC 2018. Attendance was better in 2018 (and maybe that had to do with the weather in 2017), but, yes, given the venue it felt like a disappointment.

[QuakerSouth]

The previous year's ILT winner is what my suggestion is. So the upcoming ILT would be awarded to Yale.

Not after a 14-8 whipping in this year's ILT.

No, no, you're absolutely correct! Total miscue on my end. The 2019 ILT would be help in Ithaca. Props to the Big Red on their convincing ILT victory.