Panther City to Cease Operations; NLL Dispersal Draft Scheduled

The Panther City Lacrosse Club is no more, as the National Lacrosse League announced Friday evening that the organization would cease operations, effective immediately.

Players still under contract will be entered into a dispersal draft on Monday, Sept. 2, at 11 a.m. Eastern. The dispersal will be based on final standings from last season.

The free-agent window opens at noon the same day.

Panther City, which went 10-8 in 2023-24 and made the postseason, was last in attendance this past season with an average gate of 2,812 fans per game.

“We have worked tirelessly to resolve a complex situation, but this untimely withdrawal of Panther City’s membership placed the league in an unprecedented situation,” NLL Commissioner Brett Frood said. “We’ll move forward with fortitude and confidence, building off our record league attendance last year and the positive momentum generated from our 37th season.”

Panther City was announced as the 14th franchise in the NLL in November 2020 after Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded a team in July 2020. PCLC began play in November 2021 and called Dickies Arena home.

Panther City developed into a viable on-field team and boasts a crop of enviable players that teams will certainly be excited to get their hands on in the dispersal draft, like Will Malcom, Jonathan Donville and others.

The NLL will still invest in youth programming in the Dallas metropolitan area, including the city in its UnBOXed program.