6/3/23 - Weekend Listening from Intercontinental Exchange

Last Monday, the Fighting Irish of the University of Notre Dame defeated perennial lacrosse powerhouse Duke University Blue Devils, 13-9, to win their first-ever NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championship.

After 35 years commanding the sidelines in South Bend, the victory was sweet for Coach Kevin Corrigan, the longest active tenured coach in men’s lacrosse in Division I.

The win for the Indiana squad snaps a streak for the state of Connecticut, which in April crowned the University of Connecticut Huskies as champions in Men’s Basketball and the Quinnipiac University Bobcats in Men’s Hockey. Not long after they raised their trophies, UCONN coach Dan Hurley and Quinnipiac coach Rand Pecknold brought delegations to the NYSE to ring the Opening Bell in celebration.

The common denominator on those two podium events was Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont. The two-term Democratic governor, who won reelection in 2022, kept his driver busy, twice making the trek from Hartford to Wall Street to stand alongside UCONN President Radenka Maric and Quinnipiac President Judy Olian to bask in glory on the trading floor.

Could Gov. Lamont make a record third trip to the New York Stock Exchange this year?

Not in lacrosse. The closest Connecticut team in the lacrosse rankings this year was Yale, which finished 12th in the national rankings. The Bulldogs won it all over Duke in 2018.

There aren’t any Connecticut teams in the Women’s softball tournament, so Lamont’s last hope is baseball.

The College World Series got underway yesterday. Among the 64 teams in the bracket on the Road to Omaha, UCONN lost its first game to Texas Tech, 3-2, in the Gainesville Regional and Central Connecticut State lost its first game to South Carolina, 19-1, in the Columbia Regional.

Hopes look dim. I’m glad we nabbed our Inside the ICE House conversation with Gov. Lamont on his last visit, which is linked below. As a bonus this week, we’re sharing an episode from our archives with Premiere Lacrosse League founder and lax legend Paul Rabil . The 2023 PLL season gets underway today and tomorrow, with four games in Albany, New York starting at 1:00 p.m. on ABC and ESPN+ (NYSE: DIS).

The view from the Nutmeg State: 

• Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont Presides Over a State of Champions Ned Lamont, 89th Governor of Connecticut, twice recently joined the regular throng of commuters making the run from the Nutmeg State to Wall Street. Gov. Lamont stepped Inside the ICE House while at the NYSE to celebrate Quinnipiac University’s 2023 NCAA National Championship in Men’s Ice Hockey. This visit was just a few weeks after ringing the bell with UConn’s Huskies to mark their fifth NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship. On the show, Gov, Lamont talks about the top issues facing his state, his connection to Wall Street, and why Connecticut is home to championship teams and businesses.

The view from the Empire State: 

• Paul Rabil Is Taking Aim at the Professional Sports Model Legendary lacrosse player Paul Rabil, founder and chief strategy officer of the newly formed Premier Lacrosse League, is disrupting the way pro sports leagues are organized and make money. Lacrosse, North America’s oldest and fastest growing sport, is up 35% in participation since 2012, and the PLL is poised to capitalize on its growth. Backed by venture capital and driven by social media and digital content, he’s reimagining pro sports in a way that could change the playing field forever.

If you’re on a smart phone, all of our Inside the ICE House podcast episodes are available wherever you get your podcasts, including the Apple Podcast App, Spotify, and Stitcher, and other audio platforms. Feel free to reach out to me with any feedback about our show, or suggest any guests for future episodes.