March 7, 2006

Nearly 7,000 people piled through the turnstiles. The marquee teams gave great performances. The high school and Intercollegiate Associates match-ups were enthralling. Everything the organizers of the inaugural First 4 lacrosse tournament were hoping for became a reality.

While it may seem hard to match, the underwriters of the groundbreaking event -- a major lacrosse display in Los Angeles -- are expecting this year's tournament to be even better with a new city, a sensible stadium, more outreach potential, and an expanded schedule. 

The First 4 moves to San Diego and begins on Friday with an IA affair -- San Diego against Claremont -- followed by a pair of California high school games using the same SoCal versus NorCal theme as last year. On Saturday morning, three more prep games, another IA tilt and a U-13 all-star game comprise the undercard, setting the stage for the showcase collegiate games in the evening. Duke squares off against Loyola in the early game followed by Bucknell versus Navy.

This year's two-day jam-packed schedule is a substantial leap from the single day itinerary of 2005. The expansion is the natural growth envisioned at the start of the venture by the event's organizer, Pantheon International, as well as a direct result of a new venue on the campus of the University of San Diego.

Last year's edition of the First 4 was held at the Home Depot Center and its surrounding fields, a complex designed for large sporting and entertainment events. It is truly a breathtaking complex, but probably a little too much for what the First 4 needed.

"We had a great debut -- 7,000 fans is a big lacrosse crowd anywhere," said Kent Atherton, CEO of Pantheon International. "But to put 7,000 fans in a 26,000 soccer stadium is not a perfect situation. It's an expensive place to produce an event."

In addition to the cost, which is of utmost importance to the continuation of the event, potential sponsors were hesitant to try and fit their message into a venue such as the Home Depot Center, which is covered with large advertisements and pervasive branding. Atherton was also looking for better field choices and the option for lights, which would allow for future growth of the First 4.

"We want to ensure its longevity," said Atherton, whose company also runs the John Wooden Classic and John Wooden Tradition tournaments in Division I collegiate men's basketball. "We had to find a venue where we could provide a better event."

Atherton was quick to point out that he, nor his company, had any dissatisfaction with the venue and services provided by the Home Depot Center and its management group. It all came down to what Atherton referred to as "cost structure." As an independent event coordinator completely reliant on outside venues, Pantheon International must maximize every dollar it spends in order to remain successful. Fiscal solvency is the key ingredient in allowing Pantheon to branch out into different areas such as lacrosse.

As a result, Los Angeles was not an optimal fit at this point in Pantheon's -- and lacrosse's -- growth. However, the City of San Diego and the University of San Diego, with its state-of-the-art Torero Stadium, are a more comfortable fit.

"We drew a lot of people from San Diego last year and it was always on the radar screen," said Atherton. "When we saw [Torero Stadium], I said this was absolutely the perfect place for lacrosse. It has great site lines and a great field with beautiful Bermuda grass. It will be like playing on a fairway."

Torero Stadium, where the Division I games will be played, was just part of the package. USD's facilities allow for numerous complementary games to be played nearby with the option for lights, as well as easy access and plentiful parking.

"We could create an atmosphere that was exciting for the fans," said Atherton.

The venue can only carry so much of the burden of attracting the fans necessary to make the event worthwhile for all those involved. It also takes a strong set of teams with the ability to draw casual fans as well as the die-hard followers of the sport. Due in part to both the location and success of the initial First 4, Atherton said his group had to turn away teams that wanted to participate in this year's event.

One of the teams included this weekend, and one that may single-handedly make this weekend's festival a financial success, is the U.S. Naval Academy. Not only are the Midshipmen a Top 10 squad, but they will have a rabid fan base with the U.S. Pacific Fleet stationed in San Diego and a Naval Air Station up the road in Coronado. In addition, Duke, Loyola and Bucknell are all known commodities within the lacrosse world.

Combined with the fact that lacrosse is a hot sport in greater San Diego, with Torrey Pines, La Costa Canyon and Coronado among the elite prep teams in the nation, the stage is set for a great turnout.

Because they have a podium to trumpet the sport, Atherton and the First 4 organizers will continue to make outreach a key component of its First 4 schedule. Expanding on the format started in L.A., Pantheon will facilitate clinics for local high schools and youth groups. At least one clinic is scheduled every day leading up to the main event, featuring the likes of the Powells, Tillman Johnson and other professionals, along with each of the participating schools.

Adding to the local flavor, and easing the transition from Los Angeles, has been USD and its lacrosse team, according to Atherton. The institution and players jumped at the chance to host the event, allowing the organizers to get a running start on hosting this year's event.

Despite all of the positives with the new move, Atherton and Pantheon International cannot fully commit to calling the First 4 an annual event or San Diego its new home at this time. Because of the USD's calendar, spring break falls a week later next year, making future scheduling difficult.

"It becomes a little more challenging because we'll be competing with other teams for field space," said Atherton. "But we're working on it right now. In a perfect world, I'd have this event every year and expand the format every year -- more age groups, more teams and another gender."

With lacrosse still a growing sport in the west and the inability to find a stable permanent location, it is a wise business decision for Pantheon not to get too far ahead of itself. However, it took vision and bold initiative to even attempt this type of event, and appears to be just a matter of time before Atherton and his company will be duly rewarded for taking a chance on lacrosse.