It was an eventful offseason for the Premier Lacrosse League as it looks to build off a successful first three years of play. Haven’t been paying attention? Here’s what you missed since the PLL last took the field for the championship game in Washington, D.C.
Stay tuned for more PLL season preview material coming this week on usalaxmagazine.com.
1. The PLL signed a four-year TV deal with ESPN.
There’s a new place to watch the PLL this season. After spending the first three years of its existence partnered with NBC, the PLL announced a new four-year television rights deal with ESPN in March. The deal, which reportedly includes an eight-figure rights fee, brings all 47 games this summer to ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN+. All games will be available to stream on ESPN+ as well.
2. Paul Rabil retired — from playing, that is.
The face of pro lacrosse for the last 14 years, Rabil announced his retirement at Audi Field in Washington, D.C., in September. The PLL co-founder moves full-time to the league’s front office, serving as the PLL president. Rabil retires as the all-time leading scorer in professional field lacrosse history, a three-time MLL MVP, two-time league champion and two-time world champion with the U.S. team.
3. Free agency is coming in 2023.
PLL players will soon have the power to choose where they want to play and maximize their earning potential. With free agency comes a new salary structure. Coaches now also serve as general managers. They’ll each be given a pool of money to allocate each summer, with the ability to sign players to deals up to four years in length. A flurry of signing announcements have come this offseason.
4. Eleven players were enshrined.
The PLL announced the inaugural class of the Professional Lacrosse Hall of Fame in February, an 11-player group made up of some of the best to ever suit up at this level. The first crop of honorees includes Paul Cantabene, Brian Dougherty, Gary Gait, John Gagliardi, John Grant Jr., Jay Jalbert, Pat McCabe, Mark Millon, Nicky Polanco, Casey Powell and Matt Striebel.
5. Retirements changed the landscape.
Rabil wasn’t the only big name to hang up his cleats. This year’s retirement class is full of potential Hall of Famers, including Drew Adams, Ned Crotty, John Galloway, Kyle Harrison, Joe Walters and Joel White. Also moving on to the next stage in their lives are Connor Buczek, Charlie Cipriano, Jackson Place, Eric Scott, Drew Snider, Kevin Unterstein and Jordan Wolf.