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We got some great news out of the PLL today that they will be rolling out a 2 week championship series instead of their usual summer long season. Starting July 25th, the league will start a 2 week, fanless tournament that will feature 20 games in the 2 week season. Paul Rabil joined the Today Show to discuss the plans for the tournament, as well as a training camp leading up to the campaign.

With lacrosse set to be the first professional team league to report back to playing, I think this is a massive opportunity to make the jump in national popularity the sport has been looking for the past few decades. Sports fans are dying to be entertained, with millions tuning in to watch the Jordan documentary and even old games like the 2004 ALCS that ESPN has been airing. With the potential to have all eyes on them, the PLL could attract thousands (hopefully millions) of new fans to their sport.

I was nervous about the season being cancelled altogether in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the PLL is telling us they have put together a plan where only about 300 people are needed to pull off the 2 week tournament, making it easier to ensure players and staff are kept safe while quarantining on campus. This is a unique situation, as the NBA, NHL, and MLB would require far greater numbers to get back to play. The PLL only has 7 teams which means the number of people needed is low, so they can test everyone and keep all parties safe. It’s going to be much more challenging for the other leagues to accomplish that, considering there are 30+ teams in each of those leagues.

Let’s hope the PLL can seize this opportunity and show the sports world how amazing lacrosse is, with world class athletes playing an entertaining game at a high level.

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