We’ve reached the All-star break in the MLL and the current playoff standings are as follows:

Dallas Rattlers (8-2) Chesapeake Bayhawks (6-2) Denver Outlaws (6-4) Charlotte Hounds (6-4)

Charlotte Hounds is a team that can bring in new fans, the MLL should take advantage of that fact.

There is plenty of room left for playoff jockeying, even with Dallas sitting in the driver’s seat. It is too early to predict the final four teams, but the league offices should be pulling for the Hounds.

Nothing builds a sport more than building a variety of fan bases. Charlotte is the closest market with a team to the Charleston area, with about a three-hour drive between the two cities. This makes for a logical solution that any potential lacrosse fan in the Holy City would attach themselves to the Hounds based on proximity.

Professional lacrosse does not have its own version of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys where you can find fans in all corners of the country. New York is the closest the league has, but that has to do with player recognition from Rabil and Pannell. Keeping that in mind, what gives an average person in Charleston reason to come watch the MLL championship game?

Denver has been a recent powerhouse, Chesapeake is a historical favorite and Dallas is a fun story being the newest market to the MLL. None of these can create as much buzz in the south as the Hounds can. Let’s expand on the thought of proximity some more.

Opportunity Worth Taking

The south is a notoriously traditional region of the United States, with a majority of its sports-loving population dedicated to football and baseball. This makes it a particularly difficult region to crack the sports social sphere, particularly with the area’s youth. The Hounds won’t only provide a new sport for young boys and girls to get interested in, but they can give them a local team to cheer for as well.

Charlotte making the championship game represents the greatest marketing opportunity in the south to date. Players can go out and integrate with fans. Kids can pick up a stick for the first time and learn to pass and catch. Lacrosse stick can be selected over baseball mitts. Long-term bonds can be made between children and team.

The MLL wants growth and longevity. These are the cornerstones of any successful sports league. A state like South Carolina will be one of the toughest markets the league will have to create a solid following in. The growth of any kind is fantastic, but bringing in a new generation of fans would be unreal for the MLL. Obtaining the interest of children is a much more powerful tool in comparison.

Parents want to make their kids happy and if the Hounds captivate their son’s or daughter’s heart, they will likely bring the whole family along with them. This can increase ticket and merchandise sales, player profiles and interest in the league overall.

The MLL season comes to a close right at the perfect time though. Baseball season will be in a bit of a lull and football has yet to kickoff. The Charlotte Hounds present a flood of potential marketing opportunities to the league.

If I’m sitting in the MLL front office, I’m pinning my hopes that the Hounds can claw their way in.

Share this: Tweet



