NLL To Stage First Pro Lacrosse Game In Florida, Test The Market

The NLL will stage a regular-season game between the N.Y. Titans and Toronto Rock at BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida, on January 3, marking the first pro lacrosse contest ever played in the state. The game, called the Florida Lacrosse Cup, will be the season-opener for both teams. The push to bring the game to South Florida was led by former NLLer Kevin Finneran, President of the Florida Lacrosse Group (NLL). Sunrise Sports & Entertainment (SSE) President & COO Michael Yormark, whose company operates BankAtlantic Center, said that the game "will give SSE a sense of whether the community can sustain yet another lower-tier sport." Yormark: "We think it's an opportunity to test the market. If it's successful, the goal would be to explore the possibilities of having an expansion team." Yormark said that organizers "hope the Jan. 3 game will draw 8,000 to 10,000 people" (SUN-SENTINEL.com, 9/25).