Two months and counting

In its brief lifespan to date, Lincoln Financial Field has already seen an impressive array of sports events within its gates. From Eagles football to international soccer, the stadium has already become one of the top facilities in the nation.

In just over two months, "The Linc" will further expand its portfolio, as the 2005 NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championships come to South Philadelphia.

And to find a host institution, the NCAA took a short trip up Interstate 76 to Penn. This means that much of the planning and marketing for what has quickly become one of the premier collegiate championships will take place at the athletic department's Weightman Hall offices.

Last season, Baltimore's M&T; Bank Stadium welcomed 46,402 fans -- a NCAA Division I record crowd for all championships other than basketball (football bowl games do not count) -- for the semifinal doubleheader and 37,944 fans for the championship game.

And judging from the pace of ticket sales this year, that record could be in jeopardy.

A total of 20,455 all-session tickets have been sold, well ahead of last year's pace. And the reward could be sizeable -- last year's press release announcing the event said that the economic benefit to Philadelphia could reach $25 million.

Philadelphia has played host to the lacrosse championships before, as Franklin Field saw Maryland and Princeton win titles in 1973 and 1992, respectively.

Lincoln Financial Field, however, will be only the second professional sports facility to host this version of the Final Four.

Lacrosse is "at a point where the sport, as well as the event, is in a transition from a regional kind of little club to something that's gaining greater awareness and a higher profile in the sports marketplace," said Andy Bilello, Penn's Associate Director of Athletics for External Affairs.

Baltimore has long been known as a lacrosse hotbed. Johns Hopkins is Division III in all sports except lacrosse, in which the Blue Jays are among the nation's best.

The University of Maryland, just down the road in College Park, also has strong men's and women's teams in the powerhouse Atlantic Coast Conference, and Annapolis-based Navy made a thrilling run to last year's championship game.

"The attendance grew substantially when they moved the event to the stadium that the Baltimore Ravens use," Bilello said.

"This is going to be a test of how much of that growth was due to the sport, or how much of it was due the unique nature of the [Baltimore] market, where lacrosse has greater visibility."

Philadelphia has strong lacrosse teams in its suburbs, and the indoor National Lacrosse League's Wings regularly draw big crowds to the Wachovia Center and Spectrum.

But this level of the game poses a different marketing challenge.

"What I tell people is this is about the sport -- this is not about a particular city or community," Bilello said.

"This is a sport that has a unique culture, a unique passion to its fan base."

So thus far, most of the promotional efforts have been aimed at those who would probably be coming to the event anyway. Television ads and street signs aimed at local fans without as much knowledge of the game will come later.

"Some of marketing is simple, -- it's having a message and just getting it out in front of your consumers so that they have time to make a decision," said Bilello, who has been involved with collegiate lacrosse for 16 years.

Bilello and his staff at Penn are receiving plenty of help creating that message. The Eagles are contributing their stadium operations and ticket sales crews. The Philadelphia Sports Congress, which has plenty of expertise from the annual Army-Navy football game and the NCAA basketball Tournament's many visits here, has given advice on travel and transportation planning.

"That was one of Philadelphia's strengths in attracting the event that maybe some other people didn't have in their local communities," Bilello said of the Sports Congress.

"They have a lot of experience in events that will bring people to this town, and hopefully fill hotel rooms, and go out to eat and do the other things that help keep the economy moving in Philadelphia."

So far, the combined efforts have been successful.

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