The summer PLL schedule has been released. Notable for me is the choice of Minneapolis, Fairfield, and Louisville as three neutral venues.
The set up in Minnesota is ideal as the airport, hotel and venue are perfect for logistics. I found downtown Minneapolis to be especially intriguing during the summer months with strong food options and a Twins game on the menu. I haven’t been to Louisville in over a decade for Kentucky Derby coverage or Louisville football. The bourbon options and food in the Derby City are mouthwatering. The arena looked perfect for the ASG and I favor the entry into new markets. Fairfield has a track record of strong crowds coupled with a proximity in Connecticut and close to New York City lacrosse suburbs that is perfect. Only one point would be that it would be nice to take one additional southern trip – Atlanta, Raleigh Durham, somewhere in the Carolinas, Georgia, or Florida perhaps. The south and Texas are hungry for PLL games.
The playoff sites have not been released. I would guess that Long Island, Patriot Place, Philadelphia, and Washington DC would be in the mix. Long Island has been afforded twenty years of opportunities to support and the turnstile results have been average to sub-par attendance. So eventually the league must cut bait and seek other geographies. Or try a quarterfinal at Hofstra or Stony Brook in late August or September. Perhaps Dallas, Los Angeles, the Bay Area, and Columbus Crew Stadium will enter the discussion. Chicago, given the right venue could work. In a few years when Northwestern football stadium is complete, that may be a prime spot. I would think the MLS stadiums look best for the championship game.
I’m excited about the San Diego weekend after having such a memorable time at the 2023 World Championships out west. Torero Stadium is an elite venue. You can’t beat the beaches and fish tacos. The Little Italy neighborhood hosts a weekly Saturday morning Farmer’s Market which is nationally renowned, one of the best I’ve ever walked.
League wide bye week is Saturday June 22. Teams will be afforded bye weekends as the home team looks to be playing twice when they host. This will be interesting to chart as a competitive advantage or even disadvantage.
It’ll be interesting to see how far into September the PLL brass wants to push their post season. Knocking heads with the NFL is a two-pronged issue. The league dominates the sports landscape, but viable network TV windows are available opposite their games. I would like to see how a Thursday night or Friday night final in early September would do.
May 31-June 2 — New York Atlas Homecoming Weekend Albany, N.Y. — Casey Stadium at UAlbany
The capital region has shown up for PLL and Great Danes games in May and June after the upstate NY frost melts. Venue and logistics are a sweet spot for league wide training camp. Travel notes worth mentioning is that the Belmont Stakes is being run at Saratoga the following weekend due to construction down state, so hotel rooms should be available for those shipping into Albany.
June 7-9 — Carolina Chaos Homecoming Weekend Charlotte, N.C. — American Legion Memorial Stadium
There is no prettier sunset in the PLL than when the sun drops in Charlotte and the uptown skyline comes to life during the evening. The field playing surface is first class and all seats have terrific sight lines.
June 14-16 — Philadelphia Waterdogs Homecoming Weekend Philadelphia, Pa. — Villanova Stadium
The best pro game I ever called was at Nova, the 2003 MLL Final. LI defeated Baltimore 15-14 in OT with future Hall of Famers making up the majority of both lineups. Main Line lunch and dinner options are a culinary delight and strong HS lacrosse in the area should amp up the crowd numbers.
June 28-30 Minneapolis, Minn. — TCO Stadium
State of the art Vikings practice field and game field in a Minneapolis suburb. The people are truly Minnesota nice.
July 5-7 — Boston Cannons Homecoming Weekend Boston, Mass. — Harvard Stadium
Boston is an amazing city to visit, especially during the summer months.
July 12-14 — All-Star Weekend Louisville, Ky. — Dr. Mark & Cindy Lynn Stadium at the University of Louisville
July 19-21 Fairfield, Conn. — Rafferty Stadium
July 26-28 — California Redwoods Homecoming Weekend San Diego, Calif. — Torero Stadium
There are dozens of supreme beach spots within a 30-minute drive – my favorite during the World Championships was Windansea Beach in La Jolla, a ritzy town worth visiting for dining, shopping and sightseeing.
August 2-4 — Maryland Whipsnakes Homecoming Weekend Baltimore, Md. — Homewood Field
We Want More. Going to be interesting to watch the Maryland Whipsnakes, a team loaded with Terps, calling Homewood Field their own.
August 9-11 — Denver Outlaws Homecoming Weekend Denver, Colo. — Peter Barton Stadium
Get your tickets early. DU was jam packed in the summer of 2023.
August 16-18 — Utah Archers Homecoming Weekend Salt Lake City, Utah — Zions Bank Stadium
Games in Utah are known to draw lacrosse fans from the Valley where the game is exploding but also from Las Vegas, Idaho, and Wyoming. Park City has summertime hiking and outdoor activities along with a western styled downtown that’s worth a visit.
