JU Men: Dolphins Host Utah in Moe’s Classic; Ponte Vedra-Cardinal Mooney on the Card – Feb 29th
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Continuing its proud tradition of welcoming the best competition in the nation, the Jacksonville University men’s lacrosse team welcomes second-year program the University of Utah to D.B. Milne Field for the 2020 Moe’s Lacrosse Classic. The teams face off on Saturday, Feb. 29 at 3 p.m., and the game will be covered live on CBS Sports with legendary men’s lacrosse personality Booker Corrigan on the call.
This year’s event will mark the 10th time the Moe’s Lacrosse Classic has taken place here in Jacksonville; each time Moe’s Southwest Grill has served as the title sponsor. This event has helped significantly raise the awareness of lacrosse in the region and raise the profile of JU lacrosse.
“We are excited to host the University of Utah for the annual Moe’s Lacrosse Classic. This game has become one of the biggest moments of the year not only for our program, but for the entire North Florida lacrosse region,” noted Jacksonville head coach John Galloway. “Our job is to establish ourselves as the Lacrosse Capital of the South, and hosting a marquee event with our premier sponsors, as well as broadcasting the game on national TV gives us the platform to realistically achieve that goal. The event doesn’t happen without the fantastic effort of our external team led by [Associate AD for External Engagement] Laura Der Hopkins. The attention to detail and focus on providing a fan friendly experience for our fans has made this weekend a can’t miss!”
ADMISSION AND SEATING
General admission for the 2020 Moe’s Lacrosse Classic is $20, while children 18 and under, senior citizens, and members of the military are $15. Groups of 15 or more are able to gain admission at a discounted price of $10 each and groups of 50 or more are eligible for a group discount of $5 per ticket. A limited amount of sideline seating will also be available for $30.
General admission and group admission includes bleacher seating, while sideline seating includes Adirondack chairs along the bleacher-side sideline.
JU: LACROSSE CAPITAL OF THE SOUTH HIGH SCHOOL SERIES
The Moe’s Lacrosse Classic kicks off with the back-to-back high school matchups highlighting the third installation of the JU: Lacrosse Capital of the South High School Lacrosse Series. An additional high school game will be played following the Jacksonville-Utah matchup.
With six area high school teams taking part this year, the 2020 Moe’s Lacrosse Classic will provide a full day of quality lacrosse for spectators. Beginning at 9:45 a.m., Nease HS faces off with Fleming Island HS, while Ponte Vedra HS takes on Cardinal Mooney HS at 12 p.m. Later at 3 p.m., the Dolphins battle Division I newcomer Utah before the day closes out with Creekside HS facing off with The Bolles School at 5:30 p.m.
WELCOME TO MOE’S!
As the title sponsor, Moe’s Southwest Grill will be on hand with a fresh supply of tacos, burritos, quesadillas, queso, and the rest of their menu throughout the day.
Since its inception during the 2011 season, Moe’s has been the title sponsor of all nine Classics. Other Moe’s Lacrosse Classic opponents have included Georgetown (2011), Navy (2012), Ohio State (2013, 2018), Notre Dame (2014), Army (2015), and Monmouth (2016), and Michigan (2019).
FAN FEST
Along with the title sponsor, Moe’s Southwest Grill, several sponsors of Jacksonville University Athletics, including Bar Down Lacrosse and Hampton Inn Deerwood Park, will join in the day’s festivities with tables set up around the inside of D.B. Milne Field. With samples, giveaways, and other promotions, we are excited to welcome all to Fan Fest at the Moe’s Lacrosse Classic. Thank you to all of our sponsors!
SERIES HISTORY
The 2020 Moe’s Lacrosse Classic provides an exciting opportunity for lacrosse fans of all ages to watch a pair of upstart programs compete. Now in their 11th season, the Dolphins meet Utah, who joined the Division I ranks last year and finished with a 5-10 record in its inaugural season. While the Utes are not currently affiliated with a conference for lacrosse, they collected wins over several of the Dolphins’ regular season opponents: a 13-9 win against Mercer (Feb. 9), a trio of one-goal victories against Air Force (Feb. 24), Furman (Mar. 2), and Bellarmine (Mar. 9), and a 16-10 victory over JU’s 2020 season opener opponent Detroit Mercy (Apr. 27).
HISTORY OF THE MOE’S LACROSSE CLASSIC
One year after the Dolphins made their debut as the first – and only – Division I men’s lacrosse program in the state of Florida in 2010, the Moe’s Southwest Grill Sunshine Classic was launched as a way to build the lacrosse community in Florida, garner interest in the sport, and showcase the diversity of sporting events welcomed in Jacksonville and North Florida.
Featuring some of the nation’s top programs from around the country, the first four Moe’s Classics from 2011 to 2014 were played at EverBank Field, home of the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars. With a rematch of the 2010 National Championship game between Duke and Notre Dame supplementing the inaugural Moe’s Classic, the annual event brought nationally-ranked opponents to the First Coast and supported Jacksonville’s goal of bringing lacrosse into the sporting conversation in Florida.
With events like the Moe’s Lacrosse Classic held in nontraditional areas – including Florida – the sport of lacrosse continues to gain popularity across the country with each successive year. Since the Dolphins’ inaugural season in 2010, 13 teams have been added at the Division I level, from 60 in 2010 to 73 in 2019.