Lingerie Football League Confirms Nine Facility Leases For '09
By Don Muret, Staff Writer, SportsBusiness Journal
The 10-team Lingerie Football League, which features women playing full-contact football wearing bikini tops, short shorts and helmets, has nine arena and stadium leases confirmed for its first season in '09, said Stephon McMillen, the league's Dir of Media Relations. The New England franchise is still seeking a place to play, he said. Two contracts are in place at NHL arenas in Florida -- BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa. The Denver team will compete at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, the MLS stadium in Denver. The team originally intended for Atlanta will relocate to Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, confirmed Chris Wright, the arena's GM. The league's first game is set for September 4, when Chicago plays host to Miami at Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, a Chicago suburb. The arena has sold about 800 tickets for an arena that will fit 8,000 for the event, arena GM Jeff Bowen said. The second game, the September 11 matchup between San Diego and Seattle, has sold more than 1,000 tickets for 6,300-seat ShoWare Center in Kent, Washington, said arena GM Tim Higgins. Ticket prices, depending on the market, range from $15 to $100. Each team is scheduled to play two games at home and two on the road. All 20 games are on Friday nights from September through January, and the top two teams will compete for the Lingerie Bowl championship in Miami during halftime of the '10 Super Bowl, McMillen said. The title game will air on cable television as part of the league's broadcast deal with a regional sports network, McMillen said. Details on television and marketing deals will be announced when training camp starts in July, he said. Officials from Comcast, Spike TV, ESPN and FSN said they have had no discussions with the league to broadcast its games.
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