COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Six incoming University of Maryland men’s lacrosse signees are among the 45 boy’s lacrosse players selected to play in the eighth annual Under Armour All-America Lacrosse Classic, which will take place on Saturday, July 6, at Towson’s Unitas Stadium.

Attackmen Connor Cannizzaro (Cazenovia, N.Y./Cazenovia HS) and Tim Rotanz (Wading River, N.Y./Shoreham-Wading River HS) will compete for the North squad, while the South team features a quartet of future Terps in attackman Colin Heacock (Catonsville, Md./Boys Latin), goalie Dan Morris (Dallas, Texas/Dallas Jesuit HS), defender Mac Pons (Bel Air, Md./Boys Latin) and attackman Matt Rambo (Glenside, Pa./LaSalle College HS).

The six selections ties for the second-most ever for an incoming Terrapin class and also ties for the most for any school in this year’s game. The six selections bring the total of Maryland men’s lacrosse players to have competed in the Under Armour All-America Lacrosse Classic to 40.

The selected high-school seniors will experience a weekend of events that begins on Thursday, July 4 and culminates with the Under Armour All-America Girls Classic on Saturday, July 6 at 5 p.m. followed by the Boys Classic at 8 p.m. The Under Armour All-America Boys Classic will be showcased live on ESPNU for the eighth year.

The Under Armour All-America Lacrosse Classic also includes the Underclassmen tournament that will feature the top underclass boys players from the classes of 2014-2016 from10 regions across the country. The three-day Underclassmen tournament culminates Sunday, July 7 with the finals at 3:30 p.m. on the fields surrounding Unitas Stadium.

Tickets will be available for purchase on www.ticketmaster.com. For more information about the event, visit www.underarmourlacrosse.com. You can also follow the event on Facebook at www.facebook.com/UAAllAmericaLax.

Maryland’s former Under Armour Lacrosse All-Americans:
2012
Tommy Forsberg
Ryan Lehman
Bradlee Lord

2011
Jay Carlson
Kevin Forster
Bobby Gribbin
Joe LoCascio
Goran Murray
Eric Parnon
David Solomon

2010
Rustin Bryant
Emmett Cahill
Brian Cooper
Michael Ehrhardt
Quinn Haley
Casey Ikeda

2009
Niko Amato
Jesse Bernhardt
Landon Carr

2008
Jake Bernhardt
Owen Blye
Joe Cummings
Joey Fontanesi
Grant Oliver
Michael Shakespeare

2007
Grant Catalino
Tony Mendes
Travis Reed
Max Schmidt
Mark White
Ryan Young

2006
Brian Farrell
Bryn Holmes
Brian Phipps

It is with Tiger Pride and sadness that we announce the departure of Towson University Athletics Director Mike Waddell, effective June 10.  Mr. Waddell has taken a new position as a Senior Associate Athletics Director at the University of Arkansas.

“In a relatively short amount of time, Mike Waddell began an impressive transformation of Towson University’s NCAA Division I Intercollegiate athletics program,” said Towson University President Dr. Maravene Loeschke.  “We wish him well at the University of Arkansas, and we know that he will bring the same energy, leadership, and excellence to his new job as he did here at Towson.  He will be missed. The TU community wishes Mr. Waddell and his family all the best in his new endeavor.”

During the 2012-13 athletics season, student athlete academic achievement significantly improved, with more than 131 players achieving a 3.5 GPA or higher.  Student-athletes engaged in more than 10,000 hours of service in the Baltimore community.  Towson captured six CAA championships and four Tiger coaches were named CAA Coach of the Year.  Five Towson student-athletes were named CAA Player of the Year, nine Towson student-athletes were selected as All-Americans, and more than 53 were named to All-Conference status.  Finally, the Towson men’s basketball team recorded the biggest NCAA single-season turnaround in the history of college basketball.

As Towson’s AD, Waddell successfully negotiated a multi-media rights partnership with CBS Collegiate Sports Properties that expanded the department’s development staff and led to record totals in annual giving over the last two years. He also recently secured a new multi-year footwear and apparel agreement with Baltimore-based Under Armour.

An interim Athletics Director has not yet been determined. A national search will begin immediately for a permanent Athletics Director.

FAYETTEVILLE – Towson University Director of Athletics Michael Waddell has been named Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Operations and Strategic Communications at the University of Arkansas it was announced by Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Jeff Long on Monday.

Waddell will join the athletic department’s senior leadership team and oversee the department’s external areas including marketing, licensing, media relations, public relations, ticket operations and RazorVision. He will also be the department’s liaison with the new SEC Network leading the program’s strategic engagement with the new television channel and digital platform.

Since October 2010, Waddell has served as the Director of Athletics at Towson University in suburban Baltimore, Maryland. At Towson, Waddell was the lead administrator for the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) program which features more than 500 student-athletes and 150 coaches and staff. During the 2012-13 season, the Tigers claimed six (6) CAA Championships, had four (4) coaches named CAA Coach of the Year, five (5) student-athletes named CAA Player of the Year, nine (9) All-Americans and more than 53 named to All-Conference status, while also having 131 student-athletes achieve a 3.5 GPA or higher and while engaging the Greater Baltimore Community with more than 10,000 hours of service. Waddell also positioned Towson as one of the country’s most progressive programs in the areas of marketing, communications and corporate sponsorships, including soon to be naming rights for Towson’s new 5,200-seat venue which will open next month and a new multi-year footwear and apparel agreement with Baltimore-based Under Armour.

“Michael is a tremendous addition to our administrative team and will provide Razorback Athletics an informed perspective to help our program capitalize on the valuable exposure opportunities we will have moving forward,” Long said. “With our program’s continued success and the launch of the SEC Network, it is important that we strategically coordinate our messaging to effectively tell the story of Razorback Athletics and the extraordinary success of our more than 460 student-athletes. Michael’s proven leadership and diversified experience within intercollegiate athletics will enable us to bring all of our external communication and marketing resources together to accomplish that goal.”

During his tenure at Towson, Waddell developed a program motto of “EXPECT SUCCESS,” that quickly helped re-shape the department and led to many accomplishments of the program on and off the field. The 2012-13 men’s basketball team capped off a dramatic reformation, going from 1-31 in 2011-12 to 18-13 this season, the biggest one-year turnaround in the history of college basketball.  Early in his tenure, Waddell negotiated a multi-media rights partnership with CBS Collegiate Sports Properties and expanded the department’s development staff leading to record totals in annual giving over the last two years.

In 2010-11, Towson Athletics embarked on “telling its own story” with a new technology-first approach starting with its web presence and the addition of more video content and daily features on the student-athletes and coaches. The results was an increase of 500 percent of page views to the department’s website and an increase of more than 200 percent of the site’s unique visitors.

“I am excited to join the Arkansas Razorback Family and to work with the outstanding student-athletes, coaches, administration and staff at the University of Arkansas,” Waddell said. “The opportunity to work with a program that has a rich, long-standing tradition and for an athletics director in Jeff Long who has proven to be one of the most innovative and proactive in all of college athletics is something that I am eager to engage. I am looking forward to working with this outstanding team to take advantage of emerging opportunities to share our story of success and position the University of Arkansas at the forefront of college athletics.”

With his leadership, Towson developed one of the nation’s most comprehensive class attendance policies which led to increased academic performance including a program-wide GPA of 3.07. Towson also implemented a new structure to the areas of Sports Medicine and Strength and Conditioning by integrating the two areas for improved cohesiveness placing Towson at the forefront of student-athlete care.

Prior to being named the athletic director at Towson, Waddell spent five years as a Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Relations at the University of Cincinnati. At Cincinnati, Waddell’s primary responsibility was to oversee the revenue generating areas that included marketing/fan development, ticket sales/customer service, sports communications, game day programming, and information technology. He coordinated all of Cincinnati’s football bowl planning, including back-to-back BCS Bowl Appearances in 2009 (FedEx Orange Bowl) and 2010 (Allstate Sugar Bowl).

Acclaimed for his marketing strategies, 10 of the Bearcats’ top 11 all-time largest football crowds were recorded on his watch. Football season tickets sales rose 122 percent, attendance was up 83 percent and overall season tickets revenues grew by 170 percent.  Waddell was Cincinnati’s liaison with IMG College – the multimedia and corporate sponsorships rights-holder for UC athletics; adidas – the Bearcats’ official footwear and apparel outfitter; and with ESPN, the exclusive television partner of the Big East. His efforts in renegotiating Cincinnati’s multimedia sponsorships agreement resulted in a net gain of $14 million over the term of the IMG College agreement.

Developing the UC website as a communications and recruiting tool was a focus. The site was redesigned, adding video, audio and a handful of bloggers producing original content on a daily basis. Traffic to the site increased 247 percent in his last three years with the program.

Prior to his Cincinnati assignment, Waddell served as the Associate Athletics Director for External Relations at the University of Akron where sports marketing revenues increased more than five-fold during his tenure through the creation of the “Team Akron” corporate patron program.

In 2006, Waddell received the Sales & Marketing Executives International’s Distinguished Sales & Marketing Award. His “Fear the Roo” campaign at Akron won the NACMA’s 2005-06 “Best of Show” as the nation’s top collegiate sports revenue generating initiative.

During his tenure as Akron’s Interim Director of Athletics the school made its first and only postseason football bowl appearance in the 2005 Motor City Bowl while its No. 1 ranked men’s soccer team also advanced to the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight before bowing out to eventual national champion Maryland.

Before joining the Akron staff, Waddell served as the director of marketing and broadcasting at the United States Military Academy at West Point where he was responsible for the development of all athletics corporate partnerships, marketing, promotions and multimedia development. He created the Army Sports Radio Network, securing WABC-770 AM in New York City as the flagship station.

From 1997-2000 Waddell, a North Carolina native, was the Director of Athletics external operations at Appalachian State. His tenure was marked by the signing of a 100,000-watt WKBC-FM as the flagship radio for Mountaineer football and basketball. His 1999 football marketing theme “Rock Solid” spawned Kidd Brewer Stadium’s nickname “The Rock” that has been adopted as part of ASU tradition.

Waddell received his B.S. degree in Sport Management from Guilford College in 1991, where he was also a two-time letterwinner in football. He earned his M.S. degree in Sport Administration from the prestigious Ohio University graduate program.

Waddell began his career in athletics in broadcasting at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Virginia, where he was also the Director of Sports Marketing for Charlottesville Broadcasting Corporation. He is an active member of the NACDA and is a founding member of the Cincinnati Sports Professionals Network.

Waddell and his wife, Heidi, have two children; Drew and Caroline.

“How long must we sing this song?”

It was a “Bloody Sunday” indeed for the three Maryland teams in the NCAA Lacrosse Tournament. Sixth seeded Maryland was blown out by Cornell, upstart Towson was rocked at Ohio State and defending national champion Loyola fell to Duke in double overtime after coughing up a four goal second half advantage.

The rest of the NCAA Tournament isn’t going to be cancelled, it will just seem irrelevant to those of us in this area. (Other than the handful that will still wander to Byrd Stadium next Saturday to see Ohio State, Cornell, Syracuse and Yale, that is. I imagine the crowd size will make a Maryland/James Madison football game look like a packed house.) It is particularly disappointing considering the 2012 NCAA Championship Game was an all-Old Line State affair between the Greyhounds and Terrapins.

For the Tigers, the loss marked the end of a season that lasted two or three games longer than anyone could have expected after a 3-5 start. (Worse, a 3-5 start that included a loss to High Point-playing only their second game ever in program history and the first of only three wins all season for the Panthers.) Shawn Nadelen’s team made great strides in the CAA his second season as head coach and the blowout loss to the Buckeyes was to be expected by most. It would be hard for Towson fans to get away with labeling themselves as particularly disappointed with the result.

For the Hounds, the nature of their season-ending setback at the hands of the Blue Devils had to be considered particularly disappointing. Loyola had an 8-4 lead in the second half and appeared to have essentially clinched victory before Face-Off Specialist Blake Burkhart’s final minute goal was waived off because head coach Charley Toomey had called timeout just a split second earlier. Loyola was a legitimate contender to return to the Final Four, but the heartbreak shouldn’t be misconstrued as disappointment. What Loyola accomplished a season ago in Foxborough should have never been viewed as a measuring stick for the program’s success. It was a remarkable run unlikely to be accomplished with any sort of regularity. The Greyhounds had a very successful season (including their first win over Johns Hopkins since 1999) with a very tough end.

And then there’s the Terps. The same team that coming off two consecutive trips to the NCAA Championship Game was believed to be a legitimate national championship contender. After winning their rematch with the Greyhounds in Baltimore in February, the Terps took over the #1 ranking in both polls and held it almost exclusively until mid-April. Conversation within crowds of Maryland alums was set around the idea that this group was finally primed to claim the school’s first national championship since 1975.

1975…it seems more and more impossible every time I think about it. For what it’s worth, only eight schools have combined to win the 37 championships since Maryland last claimed lacrosse glory. Still, the drought remains staggering for the flagship university in the state most closely associated with the sport.

(Continued on Page 2…)

Columbus, Ohio – No. 3 Ohio State held No. 17 Towson to two goals in the second half en route to a 16-6 win in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Sunday afternoon at Ohio State.

Towson (10-8) scored two of the first three goals before Ohio State (12-4) asserted itself, scoring four straight goals and holding an 8-4 lead at halftime. The Buckeyes’ defense improved in the second half, holding Towson scoreless for 14:46 over the second and third quarters and for 12:27 over the third and fourth quarters.

Junior Andrew Hodgson led the Tigers with a hat trick, while senior Matt Hughes posted two goals for the second straight game. Logan Schuss had a game-high six points on three goals and three assists for Ohio State. Senior Andrew Wascavage made eight saves for the Tigers, while Greg Dutton stopped seven shots for the Buckeyes.

“I want to commend Ohio State on an excellent game today,” said Head Coach Shawn Nadelen. “That said, we can’t make as many mistakes as we did today, we can’t allow them so many opportunities as far as possession times. They are a very balanced team and a very dangerous offense.

“I’m extremely proud of our team this year, and how they competed from the start to the finish. We didn’t start strong, but we finished strong. We were one of 16 teams to play in the NCAA tournament. A lot of people didn’t give us a chance, but our guys believed in themselves and put in the effort to get us to this point, back into the conversation as being a top team in the country.”

The Tigers won the opening face-off and worked the ball quickly down into the Buckeyes’ defensive zone. Sophomore Greg Cuccinello moved down the left side of the field and passed to Hughes who was waiting right in front of the cage. Hughes continued his stellar end-of-season play, posting the game’s first goal at 14:13.

Just under five minutes later, Schuss equalized for OSU unassisted at 9:16. The Tigers got strong play from their defense in the first quarter, particularly sophomore JoJo Ostrander and junior Jordan Fortmann. A caused turnover by Ostrander late in the third quarter led to a goal from Hodgson, off a feed from sophomore Justin Mabus, that gave Towson a 2-1 lead at 5:37 in the first quarter.

OSU’s King knotted the score at 2-2 with under two minutes remaining in the first quarter, and Carter Brown gave the Buckeyes the lead with 29 seconds left in the quarter, 3-2. Ohio State picked up a controversial David Planning goal as time expired on the first frame to hold a 4-2 advantage.

A series of quick passes led to King’s second goal for the Buckeyes at 14:09 in the second, but Towson’s Hodgson answered with his second of the game at 13:31 to inch the Tigers closer, 5-3. King’s third goal and a fast break tally from Dominique Alexander at 5:40 pushed the Buckeyes’ margin to four, 7-3. Hodgson then notched his second hat trick of the season with 2:06 left in the half. But confusion over the timer and possession led to another Ohio State goal, and the Buckeyes held an 8-4 advantage at the half.

Ohio State went on a tear in the second half, outscoring the Tigers 8-2 over the two frames. Cuccinello scored a goal at 2:52 in the third quarter and Hughes added his second at 5:26 in the fourth for Towson.

Towson finishes the season at 10-8, 4-2 in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA).

NOTES: Towson scored first for the eighth time this season (6-1) … Senior Matt Hughes scored two goals for the first straight game … Junior Andrew Hodgson posted his fourth straight multi-goal game and second hat trick of the season … the game marked Towson’s 11^th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and first since 2007.

College Men’s Lacrosse: No. 17 Towson 6, No. 3 Ohio State 16
Towson (10-8)              2-2-1-1/6
Ohio State (13-3)          4-4-4-4/16

GOALS: TOW – Hodgson 3, Hughes 2, Cuccinello; OSU – King 4, Schuss 3, Brown 3, Planning 2, Alexander, Evans, Kapinos, Liddil. ASSISTS: TOW – Cuccinello, DeNapoli, Mabus; OSU – Alexander 3, Schuss 3, Planning 2, Brown, Crawford, Evans, King. SAVES: TOW – Wascavage (8, 60:00, 16 GA); OSU – Dutton (7, 60:00, 6 GA).SHOTS: TOW – 23; OSU – 40. GROUND BALLS: TOW – 23; OSU – 34. FACE-OFFS: TOW – 5-24; OSU – 19-24. CLEARS: TOW – 14-16; OSU – 14-15. EMO: TOW – 0-0; OSU 2-4. ATT: 2358.

Opening Face-Off
Both No. 17 Towson and No. 3 Ohio State earned their conference automatic qualifiers to the NCAA Tournament with 11-10 wins in their respective title games. The Tigers come into today’s contest on a three-game win streak, while the Buckeyes have won six straight games.

Updating the Tigers
Towson won their fourth Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) tournament trophy and first since 2005 with an 11-10 win over No. 9 Penn State on May 3. Sophomore Greg Cuccinello scored his second hat trick of the season and senior Andrew Wascavage made 12 saves. The Tigers are making their 11th appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

Scouting the Buckeyes
Ohio State is the 2013 ECAC champion after running the table at the conference tournament. The Buckeyes are 4-2 at home but had a 6-1 record on the road. One of those wins came against a common opponent – Penn State (10-9 in OT). This season, OSU won its first four games before trading wins and losses over the next five games. Ohio State comes into Sunday’s contest on a six-game win streak. The Buckeyes score 11.20 goals per game and convert on 50 percent of their man-up opportunities. They also win 56.3 percent of their face-offs.

Last Time Out vs. Ohio State – March 20, 2007 (Towson 10, Ohio State
Towson jumped out to a 6-1 lead but had to turn back a furious Ohio State rally as the Tigers held on for a win in the teams’ first meeting in 40 years. Joel Dalgarno, Kevin Buchanan, and Jeff Ryan each had two goals to lead the Buckeyes. Towson’s Jonathan Engelke led all scorers with five goals.

Towson-Ohio State Series History
Ohio State owns a slim 3-2 advantage in the all-time series between the teams. Towson and OSU played four times in the 1960s; the Buckeyes won three. The last meeting between the teams occurred on March 20, 2007 when Towson claimed a 10-8 victory at home.

Towson-Ohio State By the Numbers

 
Towson in the NCAA Tournament
This year is the the Tigers’ 11th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and first since receiving an at-large bid in 2007. The Tigers have reached the Final Four twice – in 1991 and in 2001. In 1991, Towson played in the national championship game, falling to No. 1 North Carolina, 18-13. The Tigers are 7-10 overall in NCAA Tournament games and have a 3-1 record in first round contests. Towson has not reached a Final Four since the tournament expanded to a 16-team field.

2×2
For just the second time in Towson history, both the men’s and women’s lacrosse teams are in the NCAA Tournament in the same season. The last time the Tigers accomplished this feat was 2005. In the 2013 NCAA Tournament fields, there are just eight schools that have men’s and women’s lacrosse teams in the NCAA tournaments – Penn State, North Carolina, Maryland, Duke, Loyola, Notre Dame, Denver and Towson.

TIGERS SURPASS 10,000 HOURS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE

Towson Student-Athletes Spend Time Connecting With Community

TOWSON, Md. – Student-athletes at Towson University have surpassed their goal by working more than 10,000 hours of community service during the 2012-13 academic year, it has been announced by Director of Life Skills Antwaine Smith.

“The culture of community service and ‘giving back’ has really taken hold within our athletics programs,” said Smith. “This attitude has permeated the fabric of Tiger Athletics and it says so much about our student-athletes, coaches and staff members. This is a tremendous accomplishment and what makes it so special is that everyone was involved. It was completely a team effort.

“To my knowledge, no other school or athletics department has undertaken such an ambitious goal and surpassed it,” Smith added.

This past weekend, Towson Athletics surpassed the goal of 10,000 honors of community service when the Tigers football  team participated in O.J. Brigance’s Brigance Brigade and their Annual Fiesta 5K Run to promote ALS awareness. Led by Coach Rob Ambrose and former quarterback Dan Crowley, ’94, the Tigers football players worked at the Fun Village for kids. Coach Ambrose also spoke at the presentation portion of the event.

The football team’s participation increased the department’s total to 10,195 hours of community service.

Tiger student-athletes accumulated those community service hours throughout the Towson and Baltimore area.

Each team planned its own initiatives throughout the year as they visited hospitals, worked at blood drives and assisted with Senior and Special Olympics programs. They also took part in a wide variety of events to help other organizations including: the Susan G. Komen “Race for the Cure;” collecting personal care items and clothing for the less fortunate; conducted book drives, clothing drives and stuffed animal drives; participated in stream and neighborhood clean-ups; assisted with campus move-in days; and conducted sports clinics.

Tiger student-athletes also made more than 80 schools visits and worked with the Kennedy Krieger Foundation and the Cool Kids Campaign.

Smith added, “Involvement in these programs not only benefits the community but it also serves to develop team bonding and leadership skills as well as providing the participants with satisfaction of having made a difference. Our goal is to be a significant part of our community, not only on the field of competition, but off it as well.”

Honorable Mention: Pro Lacrosse: Ohio Machine @ Chesapeake Bayhawks (Saturday 7pm from Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium live on ESPN3.com); MLS: Houston Dynamo @ DC United (Wednesday 7pm from RFK Stadium live on Comcast SportsNet PLUS), DC United @ FC Dallas (Saturday 8:30pm from Dallas live on Comcast SportsNet)

10. Rush (Tuesday 7:30pm 1st Mariner Arena); Phil Vassar (Saturday 6:30pm Pier Six Pavilion); Sweetlife Festival feat. Phoenix, Passion Pit, Kendrick Lamar, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Gary Clark Jr. (Saturday 12pm Merriweather Post Pavilion); Taylor Swift (Saturday 7pm Verizon Center); Jah Works (Friday 8pm 8×10 Club); Spin Doctors (Wednesday 8pm Rams Head On Stage), Pat McGee (Friday & Saturday 8pm Rams Head On Stage); Rick Springfield (Thursday 7pm & 9:30pm Rams Head Center Stage); The Airborne Toxic Event (Wednesday & Thursday 7pm 9:30 Club); Bela Fleck (Friday 8pm Strathmore); MPT’s “Best of Doo-Wop” feat. Percy Sledge, Gene Chandler (Saturday 3pm & 7:30pm Meyerhoff Symphony Hall); Fitz & The Tantrums “More Than Just A Dream” available in stores/on iTunes (Tuesday)

Passion Pit is really freaking fantastic.

My cousin Gary Clark Jr. is really freaking fantastic.

This Spin Doctors song was really freaking fantastic.

Fitz & The Tantrums are really freaking fantastic. I don’t have a lot in me tonight. Sorry in advance.

9. Paul Reiser (Friday & Saturday Magooby’s Joke House); Bobby Lee (Friday-Sunday DC Improv); Maryland Film Festival (Wednesday-Sunday Charles Theater, more) “The Great Gatsby” out in theaters (Friday); “Jack Reacher” and “30 Rock Season 7” available on Blu-Ray/DVD (Tuesday)

I miss 30 Rock so much.

Lazily written sentence followed by another 30 Rock GIF.

(Continued on Page 2…)

The latest news over the weekend coming out of Towson University’s athletics program was not about baseball or soccer.  Rather, this news is in regards to the football program and the fact that the 2012 CAA Football Co-Champion Tigers will not receive championship rings due to an athletics department policy.

“Our policy is that our department will provide championship rings to teams who win the ultimate conference title, or national championship for their sport” said Director of Athletics Mike Waddell.  “We do not give out rings for regular season championships when there is a postseason tournament which defines the Conference Champion.  The 2012 Football scenario was unique in a lot of ways, and in the end, we made the call to not award championship rings.”

Waddell shared that the reason for the 2012 football team not receiving rings is because the 2012 Tigers were one of four teams who finished the regular season in second place with 6-2 records, behind 7-1  Old Dominion, which came in first place. Due to ODU leaving the CAA, league officials voted last June to make the Monarchs ineligible for the CAA Championship and the automatic playoff bid.  The tiebreaker for the automatic bid went to Villanova, and ODU got an at-large bid to the NCAA playoffs along with New Hampshire, despite the fact that Towson beat UNH 64-35 in the regular season finale.

”Following the 2011 season our Tiger Club donors stepped up and raised the money needed to cover all of the costs associated with the CAA Championship Rings. Without this support none of that recognition could have been possible.”

The CAA recognized Towson, along with Richmond, Villanova and New Hampshire as co-champions. Following the 2012 season Richmond and Villanova bought CAA rings for their teams, but New Hampshire and, now, Towson did not.  Old Dominion also made up CAA Championship rings recognizing the fact that they went 7-1 and actually won the CAA title on the field.  This was an unprecedented scenario in the CAA 5 of the 11 teams in the league could have purchased rings claiming to be CAA Champions.

Waddell added that “at Towson it’s our department’s policy to award rings to champions, and with that still comes the need to have our Tiger Club donors step up and answer the call to fund these projects.  This is a common practice at FCS schools.  There was a time at Towson when even Final Four Lacrosse teams did not get rings, so I feel that our policy is fair and that it is moving forward to a better place than we have ever been before.”

Football players who have given their all for the school, many of whom won back to back CAA championships will not get one of the things they feel they deserve.  These students have won championships and brought attention to the university.

Last weekend, former player Jermon Bushrod (Chicago Bear, Super Bowl Champion with the New Orleans Saints) attended Towson’s spring football game.  This is something he’s done for at least their last two Tiger Bowls.  Now, recently Towson has produced several NFL prospects who have now found their way into free agent camps.  These are the guys who will not be getting rings.  It remains to be seen whether or not these players will be hurt enough by not receiving rings to not come back or give back to the university they gave their all for.  These seniors have seen Towson at its worse with a one win season and have been an absolutely integral part in turning the program around.

One can’t forget about the players who are still there as well.  How much motivation will these guys have to play for a school who has denied them something that they feel they deserve? Towson Athletics Director Mike Waddell says he has discussed this with Head Coach Rob Ambrose and they believe it will be extra motivation for 2013 as the football team has adopted the slogan “Leave No Doubt” for the upcoming campaign.

Football is not the only team which has received rings in recent years.  Following the 2011 football season and the 2012 women’s lacrosse season the department provided championship rings to the student-athletes along with a formal banquet to present the awards.  The same practice will be repeated this year for the Towson teams that have won championships – 2013 Women’s Swimming & Diving, 2013 Women’s Lacrosse and 2013 Men’s Lacrosse.  All awards and banquet costs are covered by donor dollars.

A former football player, who asked to remain nameless, told me “all of the seniors are just honestly hurt because everybody in the athletic department can say we went back to back, but as athletes we have no rings to show for it. And if it was the money issue, where did the money from Kent State and LSU go? Not football.”

All revenues from “Guarantee Games” at Towson goes into a general revenue line in the Athletics Budget which goes back to offset costs with all sports.  One can see how the players might feel this is unfair seeing as that they were the ones who played in these games.  Prior to the 2012 season the Football Program did receive a new locker room.  Also, the Friday night prior to Tiger Bowl III the 2012 football team also received championship watches, which were provided by the CAA to all four of the football programs which shared in the 2012 co-championship.  Old Dominion did not receive watches from the CAA.

Clearly, Towson’s goal is to become a big time program.  That’s understandable with the amount of money that is in college sports today.  As a current student, I want them to have success as well.  However, on the way to this sought after success, they cannot forget the people that are getting them there.

That same anonymous player went on to say, “I will always come back to Towson and give back like most seniors will and we all have the most respect for the football program and we want to always see the program grow and get better. Coach Ambrose and his staff turned us into great young men and we will always thank them for that.”

The sense I got from the players I talked to was that they weren’t happy with not being told why they didn’t get their rings.  A different nameless former player told me, “the team, especially the captains and seniors should’ve had a say.” He continued, “I feel like it should have definitely been given in honor of our senior class because we rebuilt this program with the help of the last senior class. We are back to back CAA Champions!”

Towson football produces quality young men.  Some are upset by this latest ordeal.  However, they won’t hold a grudge.  At least not the ones I talked to.  A former player told me that despite all this he will “always come back and contribute to (his) alma mater.”

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Undefeated Maryland earned the top overall seed in the upcoming 2013 NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Championship, announced Sunday.

The Terps (19-0) earned the automatic bid from the Atlantic Coast Conference after winning their fifth straight ACC championship. Maryland will play host to the winner of the Towson/Stony Brook first round game next Sunday at noon at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex.

Maryland leads the nation with 29 appearances in the tournament. The Terps are also tops with 51 wins, 16 championship game appearances and 10 NCAA titles.

The first round game between Towson and Stony Brook will be at 7 p.m. Friday at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex. Tickets are priced at $6 for adults and $4 for students and seniors.

(Continued on Page 2…)