The PLL "looked at several factors" in determining the home markets for its eight teams including "viewership data, venue fit ... youth/college interest in lacrosse, fan input online, other pro teams in that market and pro lacrosse performance in other leagues in that area," according to Matt Ryan of the PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER. There "wasn’t much debate about Philadelphia," which was given the Waterdogs. PLL co-founder & President Paul Rabil said, “Philadelphia was a pretty easy decision for us. They have PLL fans that are among the largest in population within out database, and even third-party data in lacrosse points to the not only growing but substantive lacrosse participant in the great state of Pennsylvania.” Ryan noted the 14-week 2024 PLL season will include 10 regular-season game weekends, eight of which "will take place in a home market." In the past, the PLL has "seen plenty of success" in Chester, Pa., which hosted three of the five championship games, "all of which had strong fan attendance.” Rabil said that Philadelphia is a "'prime market' for potentially having two game weekends this season, with the other coming in the playoffs" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 11/14).
| Premier Lacrosse League teams |
| Boston Cannons |
Maryland Whipsnakes |
| California Redwoods |
N.Y. Atlas |
| Carolina Chaos |
Philadelphia Waterdogs |
| Denver Outlaws |
Utah Archers |
STATE OF LACROSSE: Rabil said that the decision to base the Whipsnakes in Maryland was based on lacrosse being the state’s "official team sport, sold-out crowds for PLL games at Johns Hopkins’ Homewood Field in 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023, the popularity of the sport among youth and high school players in Baltimore, Annapolis, Washington and Northern Virginia, and the proliferation of NCAA Division I and III programs that sponsor lacrosse in the region." He added there was "just too compelling of an argument to own the state and connect lacrosse players with fans in Baltimore through the DMV and all the way out to the Chesapeake Bay” (BALTIMORE SUN, 11/14).
STADIUM SITUATION: In Boston, Trevor Hass noted Rabil "didn’t rule out Gillette Stadium as a possible venue when the PLL returns to Massachusetts in 2024." The stadium played host to the league quarterfinals in 2023 and has "yielded some of the league’s highest-attended events over the years." The Krafts, who own Gillette Stadium, are investors in the PLL. Rabil: “If you look at where the Cannons have been successful, recently and historically, Gillette is certainly one of those places” (BOSTON GLOBE, 11/14).
