The Premier Lacrosse League has been making waves ever since their October 22 announcement of its creation. Adding to the anticipation and hype of it all, Sports Illustrated writer Ben Reiter did a feature piece that will be in the upcoming Sports Illustrated Future Issue next week on how the league could revolutionize the sports industry.
Sports Illustrated begins by chronicling Paul Rabil’s rise to superstardom in professional lacrosse. He talked about Rabil’s unique approach on how he viewed himself as a startup, and as a result essentially built his own media company promoting his personal brand. Rabil and his brother Mike Rabil, a former defensive tackle at Dartmouth, also started an venture company that invests in other startups. Soon, Paul became the face of lacrosse, with contacts varying from sports legends such as Bill Belichick to Steph Curry.
Reiter then highlights Paul’s three ideas for how a professional sports league can be different, particularly in lacrosse. They are:
• Geographic fluidity
• Reaching modern consumers
• Putting players first
What will be interesting to see is how the PLL’s business model of players having equity in the league will play out. It’s a neat concept, and one that could pay huge dividends in the growth of professional lacrosse as it forces players to promote their personal brand and that of the league.
To read the full article on Sports Illustrated, click here.
Regardless of where you stand on the PLL versus Major League Lacrosse debate, everyone can agree that the Paul is definitely pushing lacrosse into the spotlight and into the mainstream. How the PLL does in its first few years could have major implications for how the sport is viewed on a national and even international stage.
BONUS: For Ryan Conwell’s insight on the PLL and its implications, click here. You can find Ryan Conwell on Twitter with the handle @RyConw.
