NLL Announces Field League for 2008

[Phantanimal]

The NLL announced a field league for 2008. I'm sure there's more to come on this topic. Do you think the MLL and NLL will merge?

SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL
Lacrosse league moving onto other’s turf
By TRIPP MICKLE
Staff writer

Published December 04, 2006
The outdoor battle between the lacrosse leagues is on.

Owners of the 13-team, indoor National Lacrosse League recently voted unanimously to add traditional outdoor lacrosse beginning in 2008.

Major League Lacrosse has been playing outside for six seasons.
The new outdoor league will allow NLL a more comprehensive package to attract potential sponsors, broadcasters and players and pits it against Major League Lacrosse, the 10-team league that will start its seventh outdoor season in May.

“We’re not trying to start a war,” said one longtime NLL owner. “The push for this is coming from the outside more than the inside. There’s four teams really interested, but sponsors are also interested and so is our TV network (Versus). The first question every prospective owner asks is about outdoor.”

Initial reaction from MLL founder Jake Steinfeld was skepticism. “We welcome the competition,” he said. “I absolutely don’t think there is enough of an audience today for two leagues, but frankly I’m flattered.”

Sources said the NLL hopes to field an outdoor league of at least four teams. It would play from August to November, which means the majority of games would not compete with MLL’s May-to-August season.

The NLL had no comment on possible outdoor plans.

Full article here (log in required):
http://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=article.main&articleId=53077

[CyLaxKeeper00]

XFL or MLL/NLL merger in 5 years?

[BigheadTodd]

I wonder how many players, if given a choice, would opt for the NLL version? I had heard a few high profile players were not happy with the conditions in the MLL, including travel accomodations. But from the Journals of Alex, I have a feeling that player treatment may vary from team to team. It sounded like the Outlaws were treated pretty well, but the stories I heard were from Riptide players.

[James Foote]

After talking to a few players for the Colorado Mammoth, it sounds like the NLL owners will force their will upon their players that participate in both leagues, especially with Mammoth players. I could definitely see a buy-out happening in a couple of years if either league is able to stay on their feet.

[Brent Burns]

With the latest Lacrosse Magazine that I received yesterday, LM interviewed Jim Jennings, NLL Commissioner, and he talked about a possibility of creating a NLL2, a feeder system similar to baseball and to hockey. He did talk briefly about forming a field lacrosse league under NLL. He talked about targeting Boston and Seattle as the next NLL franchises. He is thinking about expanding the league from 13 teams to 24 teams over the years.

All of that information is right there in the latest edition of Lacrosse Magazine.

[byualum]

After talking to a few players for the Colorado Mammoth, it sounds like the NLL owners will force their will upon their players that participate in both leagues, especially with Mammoth players. I could definitely see a buy-out happening in a couple of years if either league is able to stay on their feet.

That would be a big blow to the Outlaws, losing Langtry, Sims and Law would kill them at midfield, and if Matt Brown had to play with the Arizona franchise, they would be in big trouble.