Oct 17, 2011 Baltimore, Md. and Ramsey, N.J. - Bob Carpenter, Publisher of Inside Lacrosse Magazine, announced today that Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. (Konica Minolta) has continued its commitment as title sponsor of two of the signature events in lacrosse, the Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic and the Konica Minolta Big City Classic. The Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic will be played on Saturday, March 10, 2012, at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. The Konica Minolta Big City Classic will be played on Sunday, April 1, 2012 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
"Konica Minolta's sponsorship deal with us a few years ago was a true milestone for Inside Lacrosse and the sport," said IL's Bob Carpenter. "We could not be more thrilled about working with Konica Minolta and continuing our strong partnership. It reinforces the belief that many partners have in us and the way work with them. It demonstrates Konica Minolta's commitment to the sport and what we are trying to achieve at Inside Lacrosse. By bringing more people to these events, we can deliver a great fan experience and business opportunities for our sponsors."
"Over the years, Konica Minolta's sports marketing initiatives have helped to further build our brand awareness with a broad range of demographics including the highly influential followers of America's fastest growing sport" said Kevin Kern, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. "By continuing our partnership with Inside Lacrosse, we will continue to position the Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic and the Konica Minolta Big City Classic as premier events on the college sports landscape. Lacrosse fans can count on Konica Minolta and Inside Lacrosse to deliver 2012 events worthy of the sport's rapid rise with sports fans across the country."
Inside Lacrosse has established the standard for the promotion of lacrosse with its event properties. These events have brought unprecedented excitement and fan interest to college lacrosse's regular season. Inside Lacrosse has drawn more than 200,000 fans to its 10 events, including 42,172 fans to its two events in 2011. Lacrosse fans circle the dates for the Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic and the Konica Minolta Big City Classic on their calendars each year. The games lined up for the 2012 events guarantee that fans will be eagerly anticipating the start of the next season.
2012 Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic (M&T Bank Stadium; Baltimore, Md.):
(All times Eastern)
Game No. 1 - Princeton vs North Carolina (11a)
Game No. 2 - Virginia vs Cornell (1.30p)
Game No. 3 - UMBC vs Johns Hopkins (4p)
2012 Konica Minolta Big City Classic (MetLife Stadium; East Rutherford, N.J.):
(All times Eastern)
Game No. 1 - Notre Dame vs St. John's (1p)
Game No. 2 - Duke vs Syracuse (4p)
Game No. 3 - North Carolina vs Johns Hopkins (6.30p)
Tickets on Sale November 15 for the Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic and Konica Minolta Big City Classic
Tickets for the 2012 editions of the Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic and the Konica Minolta Big City Classic will go on sale Tuesday, November 15, 2011 at 11:00 am EST. All seating locations at M&T Bank Stadium and MetLife Stadium will be reserved for these events. Fans are urged to make their plans early to be part of the action.
Ticket prices for the 2012 Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic are: $35 for Club Level seats; $22 for Lower Level reserved seats; $18 for groups of 10 or more; and $12 for groups of 100 or more. Parking can also be purchased in advance for $15.
Lacrosse fans interested in ticket information can call the Baltimore Ravens box office at 410-261-RAVE. In addition to the Ravens' box office, fans can purchase through Ticketmaster online at Ticketmaster.com or by phone at 800-745-3000. Fans can also visit FaceOffClassic.com to get the latest news on the event and details on ordering tickets.
Ticket prices for the 2012 Konica Minolta Big City Classic are: $75 for Coaches Club seats; $45 for West Midfield seats (Lower Level); $45 for the Touchdown Club (Mezzanine) seats; $25 for Lower Level reserved seats; $20 for groups of 10 or more; and $15 for groups of 100 or more. Parking will be available on game day for $20 (bus parking $30).
To purchase tickets, call Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000 or log on to Ticketmaster.com Fans interested in saving on group ticket purchases of 10 or more should call 201-460-4370. Lacrosse fans can also visit BigCityClassic.com online to find out the latest information regarding the 2012 Konica Minolta Big City Classic.
2012 Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic Preview: Where National Champions Get Their Start
Now in its sixth year, the Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic gives fans the chance to celebrate the start of the lacrosse season by placing many of the nation's top-ranked teams in the same stadium on the same day. Four of the last five national champions have started their season in the Face-Off Classic: Johns Hopkins in 2007, Syracuse in 2008, Duke in 2010 and Virginia in 2011.
Game No. 1 - Princeton vs North Carolina (11a): The first of two Ivy League-ACC match-ups has Princeton facing North Carolina at 11a. Over the past few years perhaps no team in college lacrosse has assembled as much young talent as North Carolina. Much is expected of a Tar Heel team that will be hungry to make a statement of its own while making the program's first appearance in the event. Last season, the Tigers were hit hard by injuries and finished the year with a losing record for only the second time in over two decades. Led by a veteran defensive unit, Princeton is ready to use the Face-Off Classic to announce a return to the national spotlight.
Game No. 2 - Virginia vs Cornell (1.30p): The second game at 1.30p features a heavyweight battle of leading contenders for the 2012 national championship, Virginia vs. Cornell. The match-up will also showcase two performers destined to fight it out for national player of the year honors - senior attackmen Steele Stanwick (Virginia) and Rob Pannell (Cornell). In 2011 the Cavaliers experienced a rollercoaster season that culminated in the team's fifth NCAA title. Included on that ride were wins over Cornell in the Face-Off Classic (11-9) and the NCAA Quarterfinals (13-9). The Big Red will be looking for a measure of revenge with a balanced lineup loaded with experience.
Game No. 3 - UMBC vs Johns Hopkins (4p): The third game is a local Baltimore rivalry with Johns Hopkins and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) facing off at 4p. Johns Hopkins welcomes back talent and depth at virtually every position. Appearing in the NCAA Quarterfinals a year ago, the Blue Jays will start the new season on the shortlist of national title contenders. Johns Hopkins is the only team to participate in the all six editions of the Face-Off Classic, posting a 3-2 record in the event. UMBC brings back a roster that has endured its share of growing pains over the last two seasons. The 2012 Retrievers will look to prove that those hard earned lessons will put them in contention for an America East title and NCAA Tournament invitation.
2012 Konica Minolta Big City Classic Preview: The Biggest Day of the Regular Season
The Konica Minolta Big City Classic has set the attendance standard for a regular season, lacrosse-only event with more than 25,000 fans coming to the Meadowlands in 2010 (25,742 att.) and 2011 (25,115 att.). It is noteworthy, that the only time in the last five years that the eventual national champion did not play in the Face-Off Classic, they did participate in the Big City Classic (Syracuse in 2009).
Game No. 1 - Notre Dame vs St. John's (1p): Big East rivals Notre Dame and St. John's will face off in the first game at 1p. After playing in the 2010 Face-Off Classic, Notre Dame went on to advance to the national championship game. The Fighting Irish followed that up with a trip to the NCAA Quarterfinals last season. The Irish will be highly ranked in preseason and prepared for another appearance on the big stage. St. John's is back in the Big City Classic after defeating Rutgers 9-8 in last year's event.
Game No. 2 - Duke vs Syracuse (4p): The second game will be Duke vs. soon-to-be ACC rival Syracuse at 4p. The Orange turned aside a late rally by the Blue Devils to earn a 13-11 victory in the 2011 Big City Classic. Duke brings back a talented roster primed for a run to a sixth straight final four. Syracuse loses a decorated senior class from a year ago, but the expectations remain high for a program that consistently manages to reload rather than rebuild.
Game No. 3 - North Carolina vs Johns Hopkins (6.30p): The third game will feature a matchup between North Carolina and Johns Hopkins at 6.30p. The Blue Jays won a thrilling 10-9 decision over the Tar Heels at the 2011 event to snap a four-game losing streak in the series. The sheer talent of these two teams raises the possibility that their next meeting will be a mid-season battle at the top of the national polls.
Inside Lacrosse Event Sponsors
Joining Konica Minolta as partners with Inside Lacrosse to present the Face-Off Classic and Big City Classic in 2012 are: Warrior, Brine, ESPNU, Smucker's, CyberCore Technologies, Gait Lacrosse, Easton Lacrosse and Maverik.
About Konica Minolta
Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. is a leader in advanced document management technologies and Managed IT Services for the desktop to the print shop. For the fourth consecutive year, Konica Minolta was recognized as the #1 Brand for Customer Loyalty in the MFP Office Copier Market by Brand Keys. BLI has named Konica Minolta the 2011 "Line of the Year" winner for the company's award-winning line of bizhub Color and Monochrome Multifunctional Products. For more information, please visit http://www.CountOnKonicaMinolta.com and follow Konica Minolta on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.
About Inside Lacrosse
Inside Lacrosse is the premier media outlet for the sport of lacrosse, covering print (Inside Lacrosse Magazine, Face-Off Yearbook), online (InsideLacrosse.com, LacrosseForums.com, ILIndoor.com, Wingszone.com/nllmb), video (InisdeLacrosse.tv and "Inside Lacrosse on ESPN") and events (Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic, Konica Minolta Big City Classic). IL is the online partner of ESPN.com.
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