The Minnesota Swarm today announced that the team has applied to the National Lacrosse League (NLL) to relocate to a new market for the 2016 NLL season.
“At the end of every season we conduct a complete review of our entire franchise. Our lease at Xcel Energy Center ended this year, and it became obvious that the economics would not lend themselves to a sustainable business model for an independently owned NLL franchise,” Swarm Owner John Arlotta said.
“Xcel Energy Center is a popular event destination and availability in the arena is very limited during the NLL season. Our future schedule would have included more Sunday games, and longer gaps between home games, which is something our fans have voiced displeasure about during past seasons.”
Arlotta continued, “We thank our corporate sponsors and dedicated fans as well as Xcel Energy Center for the support and partnerships we have had over the years. We also want to thank the employees and support staff who made the Swarm experience the best in the NLL. We’re excited about the future of our franchise and we’re dedicated to continuing the Swarm and growing the sport and the NLL. We plan to announce a new location for our franchise in the near future.”
The Swarm was founded in 2004 and managed by Minnesota Sports & Entertainment (MSE) during the 2005-08 seasons. John and Andy Arlotta have served as the team’s owners for the past seven years after purchasing the Swarm in 2008 from MSE. In total, the Swarm spent 11 seasons at Xcel Energy Center in Downtown Saint Paul. During that time, the franchise appeared in the postseason seven times.
