Penn State men's lacrosse head coach Jeff Tambroni announced in conjunction with his counterparts at Michigan (John Paul) and Ohio State (Nick Myers) the establishment of the Creator's Trophy, which will be an annual award among the three Big Ten schools that sponsor men's lacrosse.
A team that earns a 2-0 record against the other programs will take ownership of the trophy each spring and have its name and the year inscribed. If all teams earn a 1-1 record then no team or year will be recorded on the trophy and it will reside with the most recent team to win it outright. Following each game, a player of the game from the winning team will be selected.
"As the new kid on the block I'm very thankful to Coach Myers and Coach Tambroni for waiting to include us in what we all think will become an incredible tradition," said U-M's Coach Paul. "We are all just as focused on a spirit of sportsmanship and common passion as we are on the intense competition that exists between three incredibly proud institutions. While this initiative is focused on our three schools, we are equally proud that the Creator's Trophy pays homage to the rich cultural traditions of our sport."
"The Creator's Trophy unites the proud lacrosse traditions of three universities and allows our student-athletes the unique opportunity to compete for this special award," said OSU's Coach Myers. "Our men will be focused on not only competing for this award but also building fellowship amongst the former, current and future players on all three teams as these rivalry games grow stronger each year. We are proud to be a part of the initiation of this trophy and partner with colleagues with whom we have tremendous respect."
"Our program is honored to be a part of the Inaugural Creator's Trophy," said PSU's Coach Tambroni. "Special thanks to Coach Myers and Coach Paul for their innovative ideas and assistance in creating such a unique competition between the three lacrosse programs. We are hopeful that the camaraderie of this three-way rivalry will serve as a source of pride and school spirit, and will become a positive reflection on the sport of lacrosse and for our respective Universities."
Each school will be represented by an alumnus. Michigan's participant is Ted Moon ('89), while Ohio State is represented by Michael Norton (`03) and Penn State by Scott McKeon ('87).
Lacrosse is considered North America's first sport and its generation is credited to Native Americans. Today, Native Americans still refer to the sport as "The Creator's Game." The trophy is intended to pay homage to the sport's heritage, promote the budding rivalry of the Big Ten schools and encourage sportsmanship on and off the field of play. The night prior to each of the three games, the home institution will host the visitor for a "rivalry" dinner.
Penn State began varsity lacrosse in 1913, followed by Ohio State in 1949 and Michigan in 2012. Michigan visits Penn State on Saturday, Feb. 18. Penn State and Ohio State matchup in Columbus on March 3 and OSU heads to Ann Arbor on April 14.