It’s crazy to think that the Premier Lacrosse League just wrapped up its seventh season. It feels like only yesterday we started hearing rumblings of Paul Rabil launching a professional league of his own. Time has flown by since the league’s inaugural season in 2019 and here we are in 2024, looking forward to what season eight has in store. With a commitment to home markets, the league is inevitably moving towards a more traditional home-and-away game model, moving away from neutral sites. But what about the short term? What can we expect from the PLL in 2025? While my thoughts aren’t revolutionary, they focus on important areas the league should zero in on for continued success.
Develop Home Markets
The Premier Lacrosse League’s shift to home markets this past season was intriguing, to say the least. Everyone knew it was coming, but few had a clear idea of how it would play out. Regardless of how the plan was executed, plopping teams into new regions and expecting organic fan interest was always going to be challenging. With this in mind, the league really needs to hone in on developing these home markets on an individual basis. It’s crucial to recognize that each market is different and will require a personal touch to succeed. The league should have staff members focused on each of the eight regions to promote growth in their respective areas. This might involve engaging with local teams, businesses, and communities. Having a clear strategy for each region’s growth will, in turn, help the Premier Lacrosse League grow on a larger scale.
Boost Ticket Sales
With the focus on home markets, the natural next step would be to boost ticket sales. I’d love to see a breakdown of the league’s revenue system and how important ticket sales are to its overall financial success. The PLL has clearly invested heavily in the media side of things, suggesting that much of their sponsorship revenue likely comes from social media interactions rather than ticket sales. However, fans have complained for years that these venues look empty on game days, at least from a streaming perspective. If the league can develop strong home markets, ticket sales should naturally rise as well, addressing one of the main concerns fans have had.
Early Expansion Plans
It seems like the PLL is content with its current eight-team structure for now, which might be a bit disappointing from a fan’s perspective. Expansion teams are always exciting, and with so many talented players currently not on any PLL roster, it feels like a missed opportunity. That said, adding more teams is a complex and costly endeavor. Even if expansion isn’t in the immediate future, the league should start laying the groundwork for when that time comes. Setting the right pieces in place now is crucial to ensure that any new teams are positioned for success from the start, rather than being thrown together at the last minute without a clear plan.
Fix the PLL App
One of the more glaring issues the league needs to address is the PLL app, especially for Android users. I can’t speak for iOS users, but from an Android perspective, there’s no reason to even have the app on my phone right now. It’s disappointing to miss out on weekly fantasy or being able to reliably check in on games. Fantasy is completely broken, and honestly, one of the most frustrating mobile experiences I’ve ever encountered. While checking scores generally works, the app often crashes or fails to update properly. Android users are missing out on an important side of the league’s fan experience, and fixing this should be a top priority moving forward.
