Remember the North American Lacrosse League? It was probably the most covered league that lasted only two years while teams were dropping left and right (sorry XFL). Remember the Kentucky Stickhorses and Tony Chase? He’s now the commissioner of the United States Lacrosse League, and he addressed some burning questions about the new league.
“I have agreed to serve as the league’s first Commissioner.” Chase says. “As a founder and as Commissioner, I will oversee the development and the regulation of the teams using the agreed upon rules and guidelines.”
We know from a previous ILWT report that teams will be in Boston, Baltimore, Pennsylvania, Chicago, Kentucky, and more. However, yesterday on the USLL Wikipedia page it showed the Stickhorses as a member of the league. This, of course, sparked rumors of the return of Kentucky. Chase won’t have any of it. “You already know how I feel about rumors. Let’s let the process unveil the facts.”
The USLL will be much like the NALL as an American oriented league with some of the same markets. “As you noted, we did a lot of things very well in the NALL (especially year two).” Chase said. “The key difference is going to be teams that are better vetted financially and more involvement from the league office. To my knowledge, I am the only former NALL owner or league representative involved (so far – one other may be soon). At a team or player level, I am sure there will be many familiar names.
“Much like the NALL, we will focus on American players. But, that is not to say that we will not allow foreign players. It has not yet been finalized, but we will likely place a % cap on the number of foreign players.”
There might be more team announcements coming soon, especially teams in the midwest. When asked if he feels the markets are stable, Chase replied with, “Very!”
“The teams that have been identified thus far, have the financial wherewithal to sustain a multi-year stabilization program.”
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