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SALT LAKE CITY — Professional lacrosse will call Utah home with the Premier Lacrosse League's shift to locate each of its eight franchises in home markets beginning with the 2024 season.
And the champs want Salt Lake City.
The league's reigning champion Archers will now be called the Utah Archers, the league announced Tuesday in a historic shift that will tie each of its eight franchises to cities across the country, from Boston to Los Angeles.
But in Salt Lake City, the PLL returns to a site where it arguably saved itself during the COVID-19 pandemic — playing the entire season at the Real Salt Lake Academy and Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman with no fans — and has returned each season since to sellout crowds, including the most recent campaign that brought former Brighton High star Bubba Fairman, University of Utah coach Brian Holman and Cannons LC to compete against Utah Summit LC co-founder Will Manny and Whipsnakes.
"Utah holds a special place in our league's heart and history, as it was home to our 2020 'bubble season,' and among the first pro sports competitions to be held safely during the pandemic," Premier Lacrosse League co-founder and CEO Mike Rabil said in a statement. "Great partners in Jeff Robbins at the Utah Sports Commission, and John Kimball, Ryan Smith and the entire RSL organization, and David Neeleman have been gracious hosts, and Utah lacrosse fans have continued to show up for PLL weekends over the last three seasons. We can't wait to see fans across the region rally around the Archers ahead of our return next season."
Welcome to the Archers family, Utah. 😌👪
— Utah Archers (@PLLArchers) November 14, 2023
Happy to call the Beehive state home. 🤝 pic.twitter.com/h5wZvV9C7E
The league of the fastest growing sport in the nation, including in Utah, will continue the same touring model it adapted in each of its first five seasons during the 14-week season in 2024, with eight of its 10 regular-season weekends to be held in the newly announced host markets.
But when the calendar shifts to Utah's weekend, the Archers will play two games as the host entity (like the other seven host markets on their weekend). With the move, the league will also divide into two conferences, an East-West assignment with Utah joining a Western Conference that includes the Carolina Chaos, California Redwoods and rebranded Denver Outlaws (formerly Chrome Lacrosse Club).
The PLL will also host a conference-based All-Star Game in the middle of the 2024 season.
"Utah's sports landscape has evolved significantly over the last 20 years and it's exciting to see an addition of another professional sports team to our state," Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said. "The state of Utah extends a warm welcome to Utah Archers and the Premier Lacrosse League."
Archers stars still currently under contract with the club include former Penn State standout Grant Ament, who led the Championship Series in 2023 with 14 assists as part of his 27 points in four games; Virginia grad Matt Moore, a two-time all-star who scored six of his 16 points from beyond the 2-point arc a year ago; and goalkeeper Nick Washuta, the left-handed Vermont product who posted a 38% save rate that was fourth-best in the league last year.
16 was DIFFERENT at Champ Series earlier this year 💪
— Archers Lacrosse Club (@PLLArchers) November 3, 2023
What do you say we run it back in February, @GrantAment? 😏🤝 pic.twitter.com/g5dlUOzyCD
After evaluating multiple data points including market performance, ticket sales and broadcast viewership — and following a league-wide vote of fans during the entire 2023 season — the PLL assigned teams to the following cities and regions:
- Utah Archers
- Boston Cannons
- New York Atlas
- Philadelphia Waterdogs
- Maryland Whipsnakes
- Carolina Chaos
- Denver Outlaws (formerly Chrome Lacrosse Club)
- California Redwoods
The complete schedule will be released in January. But Archers fans can see the new Utah team as part of the league's Championship Series, Feb. 14-19 at The St. James School in Washington, D.C. That's when the top four teams from the 2023 season will compete in a six-on-six, Olympic-style lacrosse tournament, a precursor to lacrosse's return to the Olympic games at the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.
The Archers will also partner with local Utah lacrosse clubs and organizations with a focus on growing the game at the grassroots level in the Beehive State, providing access to the sport and relationships with professional players while raising up the next generation of Utah lacrosse players, according to a league release.
"This move will continue to put Utah at the top tier of lacrosse nationally," said David Neeleman, founder and chief executive officer of Breeze Airways based in Cottonwood Heights. "As a long time supporter of University of Utah lacrosse, I am thrilled that Utah has been selected as the home of the PLL champion Utah Archers. I would like to thank all those who have made this happen — It is great for Utah to have another professional team."
