On the field, #Hoyas Georgetown men’s lacrosse team was clearly the best in the Big East. Most conferences allow the #1 seed to host the semifinals and finals. The Big East decided to host their conference tournament at Valley Fields, which is at Marquette in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Marquette did not qualify to play in this tournament. Not a huge surprise, this conference tournament was the least attended of all conferences that don’t have a play in game. The players and coaches at Georgetown, Villanova, Denver, and Providence deserve to play in front of more than 799 attendees for the entire tournament. (Semifinals and Finals). @HoyasMLacrosse Georgetown averaged 1483 attendees for its regular season home games.
Despite its name implying it is in the East, the Big East conference is spread across the country. Only the ASUN conference is more spread out. It doesn’t take a mathematician to figure out that the only way to have good attendance in Wisconsin for the Big East Conference Lacrosse Tournament is for Marquette to be in the tournament and really good. Marquette was neither there, nor really good. In the regular season, Marquette’s average attendance was a distant 4th out of 6 teams.
In short, it made no sense that I can make out for the Big East to pre-pick Marquette to host the Big East Tournament. It is not merit based and it is 780 miles from Marquette’s nearest Big East lacrosse playing neighbor.
If number 1 seed Georgetown hosted, it would have put a hot team, in a prime lacrosse region, combined with the Big East’s 2023 best overall attendance performer. The Providence and Villanova teams could have taken buses. Fans of Georgetown, Providence and Villanova could attend by car, metro, or Amtrak. We will never know, but the Big East Tournament could have had the most, not the least, attendance of all the “Final Four” conference tournaments.
The Big East didn’t ask me, but they should go to the #1 seed on the field as the host of the conference tournament. At minimum, the tournament will get one merit-based home game. If not, they should pick Washington or Philadelphia as the host, which have big airports, lots of lacrosse fans and are most importantly, within driving distance of 2/3 of conference members.
Georgetown should have been home for this tournament!