PLL Chooses Chicago as Site for Week 3 Games June 15-16

Fri Mar 1 2019 | Matt DaSilva | Pro

The Premier Lacrosse League will stage three games June 15-16 at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Ill., home of Major League Soccer’s Chicago Fire.



Chicago is the Premier Lacrosse League’s kind of town. The PLL, a new six-team professional touring league co-founded by Paul Rabil and his brother, Mike, will stage three games June 15-16 at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Ill., home of Major League Soccer’s Chicago Fire. “Lacrosse has been exploding through the Midwest over the last two decades, and we’re excited to showcase the sport’s top talent in a premier venue this summer,” Mike Rabil said in a statement issued by the PLL on Friday. “SeatGeek Stadium is a dynamic venue that will provide a world class fan experience for lacrosse fans this summer.” Friday’s announcement comes three months to the day before the PLL launches its inaugural tour in New England (June 1-2 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.). Week 2 will take the show to the New York metro area (June 8-9 at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J.), which will also be the site of the PLL playoffs Sept. 14. The Chicago event will mark the PLL’s first venture away from the sport’s East Coast base. “We are excited to host the PLL and the best lacrosse players from around the world at SeatGeek Stadium,” said Jack Ligon, general manager of the stadium formerly known as Toyota Park. “It will be a great weekend showcasing the best that lacrosse has to offer.”











Though not a traditional hotbed, Chicagoland has a burgeoning lacrosse scene. The Illinois High School Association started sanctioning the sport last year, with 78 boys’ teams and 61 girls’ teams competing under its umbrella.

The PLL will host its Midwest Showcase after the competition weekend June 18-19 in nearby Montgomery, Ill. That event will provide individual training and evaluation for high school players and will represent a recruiting opportunity, with 24 college coaches representing NCAA Division I, Division II and Division III programs expected to participate.

The grass roots in the area are strong, as well. Since 2014, US Lacrosse has awarded 13 First Stick Program grants in Illinois to supply equipment to teams in need. The sport’s national governing body also has hosted 17 Coach Development Program clinics in the same five-year timeframe, deploying trainers an average of four times per year to ensure the highest standard of coaching in the state.

In Chicago itself, OWLS Lacrosse has provided academic mentorship and access to the sport to the city’s underserved youth. As part of the June weekend, the PLL plans to connect with the group as part of its PLL Assists initiative.

The PLL has been busy this week, also revealing the names, logos and coaching staffs of its six teams — the Archers, Atlas, Chaos, Chrome, Redwoods and Whipsnakes. The league — whose games will be broadcast by NBC Sports, including three games on NBC flagship — currently lists 159 players on its website. The roster includes some of the most recognizable figures in the sport, including 19 of the 23 players who won a gold medal with the U.S. national team last summer.