The Premier Lacrosse League on Thursday announced 30 finalist host cities for its inaugural season.

In choosing these cities (listed below), the PLL considered TV viewership of college lacrosse, youth lacrosse participation data, U.S. Census population data and the presence of alternative professional sports teams. The league scored prospective hosts with projections for attendance, venues, corporate partnerships and fan experience.

Eight of the target markets — Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Columbus, Dallas, Denver and New York — have existing Major League Lacrosse franchises. The PLL’s six teams will consist largely of former MLL players who left the league to join PLL co-founder Paul Rabil and his brother, Mike, in this new venture.

There’s a mix of hotbeds and emerging lacrosse markets on the current list of 30, as well as two Canadian cities.

The list will be pared down to 12 in the coming weeks. Paul Rabil told US Lacrosse Magazine in October that the PLL liked the potential of playing in modern venues built for Major League Soccer, many of which are built for the modern fan experience.

Fourteen of the 30 finalists — Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Portland, Salt Lake City, Toronto and Washington, D.C. — feature MLS-specific stadiums either in the city itself or within a 30-mile radius of the city center.

The PLL, which is headquartered in Los Angeles and also has offices in New York, will descend upon two of the cities twice as part of its 14-week tour starting June 1, which includes all-star and championship weekends.

PLL Host City Finalists

Albany, N.Y.
Atlanta
Baltimore
Boston
Buffalo, N.Y.
Charlotte, N.C.
Chicago
Cincinnati
Columbus, Ohio
Dallas
Denver
Hartford, Conn.
Houston
Los Angeles
Miami
Minneapolis
New York
Orlando, Fla.
Philadelphia
Portland, Ore.
Providence, R.I.
Raleigh, N.C.
Richmond, Va.
Salt Lake City, Utah
San Francisco
Seattle
St. Louis
Toronto, Ont.
Vancouver, B.C.
Washington, D.C.