Major League Lacrosse, the premier professional outdoor lacrosse league, announced today that they will host their 2016 All-Star Game at Cal State Fullerton’s Titan Stadium on Saturday, July 9. This is the first time the event will be held on the West Coast.
“We’re excited to be back in Southern California. We believe our destiny lies in having teams on the West Coast again and this is our first step in making that happen,” said MLL Commissioner David Gross. “This is also a greatopportunity for our teams from across the country to play in front of new and passionate fans of the sport.”
The 10,000-seat Titan Stadium is a state of the art facility located within the Titan Sports Complex at California State University, Fullerton. Built in 1992, the stadium is home to the Cal State Fullerton men’s and women’s soccer programs. The facility has hosted several international soccer exhibitions and due to its close proximity to Hollywood, has been a favorite location for movies, commercials and video games.
Major League Lacrosse will work with a strong partnership group in Southern California comprising of local lacrosse groups and local US Lacrosse Chapters to bring professional lacrosse back to California.
“Southern California is a hotbed of athletic talent in America. This past year we have seen more boys and girls commit to NCAA Division I and II lacrosse scholarships than ever before. Having an event such as the MLL All-Star Game in our own backyard is an incredible opportunity for our community,” said US Lacrosse Orange County Chapter President John Fischbeck.
For the city of Fullerton and its surrounding areas, hosting the MLL All-Star Game is another testament to the growth of lacrosse in emerging markets. California has seen an expansive growth of lacrosse at all levels. According to the 2014 US Lacrosse Participation Survey, California was selected as one of the states experiencing the fastest growth of youth and high school lacrosse. The prominence of lacrosse west of the Mississippi River can be seen in the rise of the USC women’s program, currently ranked #12, and in the Denver Pioneers winning the 2015 NCAA Championship to become the first team outside of the Eastern time zone to win the title.
MLL continues their western campaign since selecting Houston to host the 2015 MLL All-Star Game. In a game featuring thirty-eight of the league’s most elite players, the MLL Gladiators came away with a 27-15 victory over the MLL Cowboys. Jeremy Boltus, attackman for the Rochester Rattlers, was voted the Coca-Cola Player MVP for the game with his six goal performance for the Gladiators.
Tickets for the 2016 MLL All-Star Game will go on sale to the public later this month and can be purchased through our website at majorleaguelacrosse.com. For more information about the 2016 All-Star Game and updates on the ticket on sale date, please follow us on Twitter at @MLL_Lacrosse.
