LOS ANGELES, Nov. 14, 2023 - The Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) powered by Ticketmaster has partnered with Whirlpool Brand to welcome its eight teams to home cities, marking the league's biggest investment since its inception in 2018. After evaluating fan voting, broadcast viewership, historical ticketing performance, public census data, and venues, the PLL has assigned its teams to the following locations:
Boston Cannons
New York Atlas
Philadelphia Waterdogs
Maryland Whipsnakes
Carolina Chaos
Denver Outlaws (formerly Chrome Lacrosse Club)
Utah Archers
California Redwoods
Beginning in the 2024 season, the PLL will adopt a two-conference structure. The New York Atlas, Boston Cannons, Philadelphia Waterdogs, and Maryland Whipsnakes will make up the Eastern Conference. The Utah Archers, Carolina Chaos, Denver Outlaws, and California Redwoods will make up the Western Conference, with the PLL All-Star Game to feature a conference-based matchup for the first time, and a new conference playoff structure to be announced soon.
"Our eight lacrosse clubs are coming home," said Paul Rabil, co-founder and president of the Premier Lacrosse League. "This is the biggest moment in our league's history. We couldn't be more excited about the incredible growth and enthusiasm we're witnessing in these vibrant lacrosse communities. A big thank you to our players, investors, partners and colleagues for their continued commitment, belief, and work ethic in making this possible. Sports fans have professional lacrosse from the world's best players to look forward to in their hometowns next season."
In its first five seasons, the PLL operated a touring model, where teams did not have geographic affiliations, and all eight teams played in one market each game weekend. The league will continue to operate a 14-week, tour-based season, with eight of the league's 10 regular season game weekends to be held in teams' home markets. Two regular season weekends will be held in other markets, with the All-Star Game, Playoffs and Championship will be held at neutral locations to be announced in 2024.
When the PLL travels to a team's home market, that team will host its "homestand weekend" and play two games in two days. Additionally, the PLL will make new investments in the fan experience, including dedicated programming and fan sections, in market supporter groups, and local philanthropic partnerships through its non-profit, PLL Assists.
"When we launched the PLL in 2018, building teams independent of cities helped us get out of the gates fast, grow the game, and operate efficiently with the first team-based tour model in sports. Today, we take our next, and biggest step since we set out on our mission to trailblaze the future of professional sports," said Mike Rabil, co-founder and CEO of the Premier Lacrosse League. "Connecting our teams to cities and regions will create new connection points and opportunities for our players, fans, investors, and partners as we continue to invest in the growth of the sport from the ground up. The best is yet to come for the PLL and lacrosse."
"As a brand focused on family care, we are thrilled to partner with the PLL to bring these teams home," said Shannon Blakely, VP Brand Marketing - NAR. "The PLL's work to expand access to the sport and serve the communities they will call home is inspiring. We are excited to work together to showcase the fastest sport on two feet!"
As part of the league's effort to grow the game and build fan affinity in each team's home location, the PLL will make new investments into youth lacrosse participation. PLL Youth will establish community driven, team-branded programming that is focused on increased participation, access to the sport, and fostering a deeper connection between PLL teams and the next generation of athletes.
The top four teams from the 2023 season will be the first to represent their home markets at the 2024 PLL Championship Series, this February 14-19 at The St. James near Washington, D.C. The Utah Archers, Boston Cannons, California Redwoods, and Philadelphia Waterdogs will compete in the Olympic Sixes game format, set to return lacrosse to the Olympics at the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Games.
The 2024 PLL schedule will be released in January. To learn more about the Premier Lacrosse League and its teams' new home locations, visit www.premierlacrosseleague.com.
About the Premier Lacrosse League
The Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) powered by Ticketmaster is a men's professional lacrosse league in North America, composed of eight teams rostered by the best players in the world. Co-founded by lacrosse superstar, philanthropist, and investor Paul Rabil and his brother, serial entrepreneur and investor, Mike Rabil, the PLL is backed by an investment group composed of Joe Tsai Sports, The Chernin Group, Arctos Sports Partners, Brett Jefferson Holdings, The Raine Group, Creative Artists Agency (CAA), The Kraft Group, Bolt Capital and other top investors in sports and media. The PLL is distributed through an exclusive media rights agreement with ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN+. The PLL was named 2020 Sports Breakthrough by the Sports Business Journal, and recognized as a 2021 Best Employer in Sports by Front Office Sports. For more on the league, visit www.premierlacrosseleague.com and follow on social media: Instagram (@PLL), Twitter (@PremierLacrosse), Facebook (@PremierLacrosseLeague), YouTube (YouTube.com/PLL) and TikTok (@pll).
SOURCE Premier Lacrosse League
