Premier Lacrosse League Home Cities Announced (Updated)

The PLL went from a touring league to eight home markets. Here's every team, how the cities were picked and what it means for fans.

Multiple sources have confirmed that the Premier Lacrosse League has begun transitioning to geographically linked clubs, marking a significant milestone in the league's development over the last five years. For anybody who's been following pro lax since the MLL days, this is the move we've been waiting on.

How is pro lacrosse in the USA organized?

In 2018, Paul Rabil and his brother Mike Rabil founded the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) with six clubs. Along the way, it was able to obtain distribution via ESPN and acquire the preeminent outdoor circuit, Major League Lacrosse (MLL), for a hefty sum.

The eight clubs that make up North America's Premier Lacrosse League (PLL), powered by Ticketmaster, include most of the top lacrosse players in the world. Indoors, the NLL runs its own city-based league through the winter, which is part of why the PLL's move made so much sense. (New to the two games? Here's box lacrosse vs. field lacrosse.)

The decision to go geographical

In a Los Angeles board meeting in May 2023, PLL officials considered giving each of the league's eight clubs an affiliation (city, state, or area). Teams may build a local fan base via initiatives like youth camps, local sponsorships, and other paid events. Longer term, it might pave the way for a more conventional home-and-away schedule.

The PLL's existing tour-based approach wouldn't terminate immediately, the sources added; the eight home markets would likely become destinations on the PLL's yearly schedule. Geographic affiliations were expected to be decided by the end of the year, with the idea, called "Project Next," going into force after the 2023 season.

Youth camps, local sponsors and a home crowd: that's how you grow a pro team's roots, and it's how you grow the game.

How will they choose locations?

Transition details for "Project Next" had not been finalized at the time, the sources added. The PLL would evaluate potential first-market cities and regions, looking at how many people are interested in lacrosse, how many people are buying PLL goods, how many people are attending games, and where they can play.

The league could also rebrand or rename some of the existing franchises. For instance, in 2020 the PLL gained full ownership of the MLL's intellectual property. As a result of this merger, the Boston Cannons (formerly of Major League Lacrosse) joined the Premier Lacrosse League as its eighth franchise. The Cannons are one of the most popular teams, with 28,000 Twitter followers and 73,000 Instagram followers. Should Boston be selected as a city, the Cannons would presumably be that city's team.

As part of its expansion into new markets, the PLL may decide to bring back more MLL brands. Once the PLL's geographical divisions are set, the league's clubs may test out new ways to bring in money close to home, which may lead to further adjustments to the format and scheduling of the league.

One of the sources claimed the board discussed the possibility of the "home" team playing two games in its market when the tour stops there. While other leagues, such as the National Women's Soccer League, have expanded into new locations with different strategies, this method may be more suited to the PLL because of the nature of the sport, the league's structure, and the league's developmental stage.

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Who owns each team?

The PLL has several investors, and a number of them sit on the board. Paul and Mike Rabil, Mike Levine of CAA Sports, Joe Tsai, Doc O'Connor of Arctos, Mike Kearns of The Chernin Group, Colin Neville of Raine, Erika Ayers of Barstool Sports, and Brett Jefferson of Hildene Capital Management made up the league's nine-person board at the time of the announcement.

The PLL owns all of its teams. It is not known if the long-term plan calls for clubs to ultimately switch to individual ownership groups, which would bring the PLL in line with leagues like MLS, or whether the existing format will be maintained. There is also the possibility of a future sale or an initial public offering (like WWE). (Wondering what the players on those rosters take home? Here's how much professional lacrosse players make.)

The big reveal: all 8 PLL teams and home cities

In order to settle on new territories, leaders looked at things like past fan statistics, television viewership, ticket sales, and youth participation rates. On Tuesday, November 14, 2023, the home markets for the eight teams that make up the men's professional lacrosse circuit were announced:

• Philadelphia Waterdogs
• Boston Cannons
• Carolina Chaos
• California Redwoods
• New York Atlas
• Denver Outlaws (formerly Chrome Lacrosse Club)
• Maryland Whipsnakes
• Utah Archers

The PLL is essentially starting from zero in terms of geography, whereas established leagues have footholds in major cities like New York and Los Angeles. As opposed to other leagues, the PLL has no interest in attracting new investors or charging expansion fees. The teams in the league already exist, and so do the investors.

Update: where things stand now

Since the announcement, the city names have stuck. The 2024 season was the first played with home markets, and in 2026 the PLL expanded its regular season, still on a touring model but with each team hosting a homecoming weekend doubleheader in its own market. As of 2026, the league still owns all eight teams, though Paul Rabil has said selling clubs to individual owners is on the roadmap, likely once teams have permanent home venues.

If you're building a fantasy roster around the new markets, check out our PLL fantasy lacrosse tips, and see when lacrosse season is for every level.

We at LaxDrip are super excited to see the league expand in the coming years. Our prayer is a team in the most underserved major market in the country… Virginia Beach!!! Between the beach tournaments every summer and the youth programs all over Hampton Roads, that crowd would fill the stands.

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Pick your team, get to a homecoming weekend, and keep making noise for a PLL club in Virginia Beach.