ACIT 2020

[BoyznBlue]

Although the ACIT is one of the longest continuously running and successful prep tournaments in the country, look for changes in the future. The committee is bringing in new teams for future tournaments. IMG Academy may be added to the field next year.

 

[loco09]

I know people hate change but I think they need to shake it up in order to keep it going and keep it relevant. The crowds were still good but it needs a freshening up, new teams, the WCAC teams and BCL teams are great but the tournament is so much more intriguing when there are unknowns, not watching the same teams play for the 4th or 5th time in a season. My gut feeling is they either need to expand out of the catholic school only to include other private schools (most realistic) or move it to earlier in the year to be able to have access to other catholic schools (less likely)

 

[loco09]

My ideal tournament would be top 2 from WCAC and BCL, BW, 3 national teams, IMG, LaLumiere, Sunrise, Oak Hill, Huntington Prep types. Side note, IMG is coached by Sean McAloon who used to coach at St Johns so he is very familiar with the ACIT if that rumor would ever come to pass.

 

[BoyznBlue]

My ideal tournament would be top 2 from WCAC and BCL, BW, 3 national teams, IMG, LaLumiere, Sunrise, Oak Hill, Huntington Prep types. Side note, IMG is coached by Sean McAloon who used to coach at St Johns so he is very familiar with the ACIT if that rumor would ever come to pass.

Exactly, I heard from someone on the ACIT committee that they are considering IMG for next year's tournament but it seemed strange because they aren't a catholic school. But with the connection with McAloon it started to make sense. They said any team they bring in will be carefully vetted. They want to avoid what happened with LaLumiere a few years ago

 

[loco09]

Yeah LaLumiere will probably never make another appearance at the ACIT which is a shame in a way as that program has skyrocketed, but they were here for the Bob Kirk still. I have a hard time seeing some of the people in charge taking a team other than a catholic school but something clearly needs to change, I mean for the first time ever we saw matchups change for the 3rd day just to avoid certain repeat matchups.

 

[BoyznBlue]

Yeah LaLumiere will probably never make another appearance at the ACIT which is a shame in a way as that program has skyrocketed, but they were here for the Bob Kirk still. I have a hard time seeing some of the people in charge taking a team other than a catholic school but something clearly needs to change, I mean for the first time ever we saw matchups change for the 3rd day just to avoid certain repeat matchups.

Hopefully they change their opinion about La Lumiere. But they cause the problem themselves because every year the first day is always DC vs Baltimore. They should put the DC schools in the same bracket to prevent that. The championship game should have been DeMatha vs St. Frances.

 

[otnorot]

Could they add some non-Catholic private schools from the region? St. Stephen's/St. Agnes or Flint Hill would have spiced up the tournament this year, Westtown from the Philly area always has a strong team with some big-time players and is not a PIAA school.

 

[loco09]

I mean they could but there will be some who fight that to the death, it has always been a catholic school only event. I wouldn't be opposed to it but I don't make those decisions. The BWGIT went that route the last few years inviting non-catholic private schools and it has helped them to bring in more and different schools.

 

[BoyznBlue]

Could they add some non-Catholic private schools from the region? St. Stephen's/St. Agnes or Flint Hill would have spiced up the tournament this year, Westtown from the Philly area always has a strong team with some big-time players and is not a PIAA school.

If they are considering IMG it's a sign they are going to open up the tournament to other non-Catholic schools. I agree with you because after the Philly schools stopped coming it basically became a DC/Balt thing and those teams already play against each other all season. Some of the schools have played each other 4 times before they get to the ACIT.

 

[alco65]

I don't know what everyone else though but I thought the championship game was boring. I Thought the BW game before it was much more fast paced and exciting. Just my opinion

 

[otnorot]

If they are considering IMG it's a sign they are going to open up the tournament to other non-Catholic schools.

Yeah, I was just thinking in terms of a way of opening up the tournament without bringing in the national boarding school-type programs.

 

[BoyznBlue]

Yeah, I was just thinking in terms of a way of opening up the tournament without bringing in the national boarding school-type programs.

It seems like that's what BW wants to become. And to be honest that's what DeMatha, Gonzaga, St. John's already are. The USA Today sent reporters to Cumberland to cover the Bob Kirk Tournament. I don't think it's a coincidence that the ACIT is making changes now.