National Lacrosse League Opts to Wait Until Fall to Return to Play

The National Lacrosse League has scrubbed plans to play a shortened 2021 season this spring and summer.

Instead, the N-L-L is putting all of its energies into playing a full, traditional 2021-22 season, starting in the fall. Cancelling the proposed abbreviated campaign is due, of course, to uncertainties arising from the on-going COVID-19 pandemic. The exact fall start date of the next season wasn’t announced, but the N-L-L says it will have franchise announcements and other initiatives that had been planned for the shortened season coming very soon. When play does begin, the Saskatchewan Rush will have a new rival in the Panther City Lacrosse Club in Fort Worth, Texas to deal with. Following is the news release from the N-L-L…

National Lacrosse League Will Focus On

Next Season

Plans for April Start Date Cancelled Amidst COVID-19 Uncertainties;

Full Season Now Planned for 2021-22 Season

PHILADELPHIA, February 3, 2021 – The National Lacrosse League (@NLL), the largest and most successful professional lacrosse property in the world, today announced that plans for an abbreviated season this spring have been cancelled due to uncertainties arising from the ongoing Pandemic. The league, with the full support of the NLL Board of Governors, will now move to start a traditional season in the fall of this year.

“We have gone through many scenarios, including playing a bubble season in Canada in April, but the logistical challenges, including the recently announced tighter travel and quarantine restrictions across the Canadian border have required us to pivot. We have decided to focus on playing a full season in our markets, starting in the fall of this year,” said NLL Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz. “While many of the factors we can control were moving along well, those outside of our control, especially pertaining to obtaining government approval as far in advance as we would have needed, are no longer feasible. All the efforts and innovations we were planning will now go towards a full season starting this fall and into next year. We thank our players, teams and Board of Governors, whose thoughts in this process were invaluable, and we now set our sights on getting lined up for a full NLL season starting in the fall. We also thank our fans for sticking with us – we will be back, and it will be even more exciting than ever before.”

“We appreciate the League’s extensive efforts to provide us the opportunity to play an abbreviated 2021 season in a safe and controlled environment throughout the changing landscape during this Pandemic. While we are disappointed that it will not be possible to play this spring, we are even more excited and passionate about having a full 2021-22 season and are eager to get back on the floor this fall,” said Zach Currier, PLPA President.

While the exact start date of a full season will be announced at a later date, which will include the debut of Panther City Lacrosse Club in Fort Worth, the NLL is planning to start in the fall playing a complete season into the spring of 2022. Additionally, exciting franchise announcements are coming very soon, as well as other initiatives that were being planned for the shortened 2021 season.

Details will be coming as they are finalized. For additional information, please visit @NLL YouTube to watch an interview with Commissioner Sakiewicz.

The National Lacrosse League (NLL) is comprised of 14 franchises across the United States and Canada: Buffalo Bandits, Calgary Roughnecks, Colorado Mammoth, Georgia Swarm, Halifax Thunderbirds, New England BlackWolves, New York Riptide, Panther City Lacrosse Club (taking action on the floor in the 2021-22 season), Philadelphia Wings, Rochester Knighthawks, San Diego Seals, Saskatchewan Rush, Toronto Rock, and Vancouver Warriors.