WRAL Sports Fan

WRALSportsFan

Pro Lacrosse League Considering Triangle

By Dane Huffman

Feb 15, 2008

Major League Lacrosse will hold a regular-season game in Cary June 21 as a way to gauge whether the Triangle could support one of its franchises.

League commissioner David Gross said Friday that the MLL has taken over the Philadelphia franchise this season. Philadelphia will play road games in potential markets as a way to evaluate interest in the sport.

“We want to see how people react. Can we sell tickets there?” Gross told WRAL.

Gross said an MLL franchise usually needs to average more than 5,000 fans to be financially viable.

Philadelphia will play Rochester at WakeMed Soccer Park in the match.

North Carolina, he said, is a top target for the league. The Triangle includes prominent lacrosse programs at Duke and North Carolina and the youth leagues in the market are booming

“North Carolina is a market we’ve coveted for a while,” he said.

Gross said the league is also considering Virginia Beach, St. Louis, Dallas and Portland, Ore.

“The first step is, let’s just dip our toe in and test it,” Gross said.

Duke coach John Danowski was enthusiastic about the league on Friday.

“It’s lacrosse at its best,” Danowski said when reached at his office. “It’s a great product. People would love it. There are enough people here to sustain a franchise.”

The Carolina RailHawks have called a Tuesday news conference to discuss the summer game.

While lacrosse in the market is growing, the Triangle has seen many minor league franchises come and go. The RailHawks had a successful start and, of course, the Durham Bulls and Carolina Mudcats have thrived. But many others have failed in a market where entertainment options are burgeoning.