Premier Lacrosse League is coming to Charlotte for the first time — and tickets are on sale
For the first time since its formation in 2018, the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) is coming to Charlotte. The Queen City is among the first six cities chosen by the league for its 2022 season.
A series of four games will take place at American Legion Memorial Stadium, home of the former Charlotte Hounds Major League Lacrosse (MLL) team. In 2020 the MLL and PLL merged, combining forces to produce eight teams of the country’s best players.
This season, the league will play 47 games over 14 weekends, bringing the teams to various “lacrosse hotbeds” across the country. Charlotte will host two doubleheaders on June 10 and 11, with faceoffs beginning at 6 p.m. and 8:45 p.m.
“Anchored by Division I Powerhouses, Duke and UNC, the Tarheel State boasts a ravenous lacrosse community — which has grown materially in the past 20 years,” said Mick Davis, vice president of growth at the PLL.
“The departure of the Charlotte Hounds has left a void for local diehards that the PLL is excited to fill in 2022 and years beyond. North Carolina schools — Duke, UNC, High Point — claim 22 rostered players in the notoriously competitive PLL, a tip of the hat to the caliber of players being developed at North Carolina colleges and universities,” Davis said.
A number of former Charlotte Hound players will be returning to the city for the league games, as well as head coach Jim Stagnitta.
Also returning to the Queen City for the games is leading attackman for the Archers, Marcus Holman. Holman held UNC-Chapel Hill’s all-time leading scorer record until 2015 and is one of three children in his family to play lacrosse at UNC, where his dad also served as an assistant coach for men’s lacrosse.
“I always enjoyed playing against the Hounds — the fan base in Charlotte is solid and supportive,” Holman said. “Lacrosse has grown so much in North Carolina, South Carolina, Atlanta — it’s really started picking up in the Southeast. UNC and Duke are two of the best programs in the country so we just continue to see younger players in the area develop and grow the sport.”
Oldest and fastest growing sport
With Indigenous roots dating back to 1100 A.D., lacrosse is the oldest team sport in America, but it’s just in the last two decades that its popularity has reached new heights. According to a 2018 NCAA study, lacrosse is the fastest growing collegiate sport among both men and women, with the number of men’s teams increasing by 61% and women’s by 97% from 2003-2018.
Locally, the trend has followed suit with the introduction and growth of youth leagues around the Charlotte area. Former professional player Ryan Flanagan established 24/7 lacrosse (now Team 91 Charlotte) in 2010, during his time with the Charlotte Hounds.
When it comes to having professional lacrosse back in Charlotte — even just for a weekend — Flanagan is excited for the impact and influence it can have on players and the local community.
“The more they consume the sport, the more they love the sport and the better player they will be. It all kind of feeds that ecosystem that we are trying to build in the sport in Charlotte.”
Weekend passes that include tickets to all four games are now available online starting at $72. The final eight locations for play have been set — along with the team match-ups — and single day presale tickets are available now, starting at $35..
Premier Lacrosse League
Date: June 10-11, 6 p.m. and 8:45 p.m. faceoffs
Location: American Legion Memorial Stadium, 1218-1238 Armory Dr, Charlotte, NC 28204
Tickets: Weekend passes starting at $72; Single day ticket on sale in March, presale waitlist available
This story was originally published March 7, 2022 at 6:30 AM.
