KANSAS CITY, Mo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Professional Box Lacrosse Association (PBLA) today announced the first season of a new, professional, American box lacrosse league. On July 19, the PBLA will be rolling out the cities and communities that will have a team to cheer for when the season begins this December. The launch of the league occurs just as lacrosse was officially labeled “the fastest growing sport in America” in a study conducted by the NCAA.
In an exciting twist, before players face off this fall, fans are going to be able to vote on the name they like best for their local team via the PBLA.com website. The name with the most votes will become the official name of the area’s professional box lacrosse team. Voting will begin on July 19, when the team locations are unveiled, and will continue for 30 days when the winning team names will be announced.
The PBLA has also announced the role of commissioner will be going to Steve Donner, a professional sports veteran with over 27 years in the industry, including nine years as the director of marketing for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL) and 12 years as the president/CEO of the Rochester Knighthawks of the National Lacrosse League (NLL). Donner strongly believes in the vision of the PBLA, as well as the strategy of allowing communities to name their own teams.
“We wanted to make sure the fans could be a part of the naming of their local teams,” said Donner.” It was crucial to us that the PBLA be dedicated, first and foremost, to the fans of this incredible sport. I believe I speak for the entire organization when I say that we are beyond thrilled to be bringing professional box lacrosse to each of these communities.”
The PBLA plans to bring back the pure excitement of professional box lacrosse, focusing on the reintroduction of American players. PBLA President of Business Operations John Livsey, Jr., former commissioner of the National Lacrosse League (NLL), promises to deliver an exciting, fast-paced, hard-hitting form of lacrosse that will capitalize on the runaway popularity of the sport.
“The explosive growth in the popularity of lacrosse cannot be overstated. In fact, lacrosse is about to become the next breakout sport in the U.S.,” said Livsey. “I can’t tell you how excited we are to finally announce this league. After all, we’ve been working towards this day for nearly a decade. The talent pool at the collegiate level has never been greater than it is today, and we’re excited to give the most elite lacrosse athletes in the world an opportunity to play in the PBLA., and we can’t wait for you to see them.”
The PBLA also announced their CEO will be Carmen Kesner, an executive leadership and growth strategy veteran with over 15 years of experience working with professional and college sports organizations. Kesner brings strong experience around operational excellence and strategic growth, along with a proven background in overall organizational success.
Rounding out the management of the PBLA will be COO Brian Mankameyer, who brings with him over 15 years of business development and corporate leadership experience, as well as a strong background in interpreting professional sports analytics, including attendance, fan experience and bottom-line revenue projections.
To learn more about the PBLA, please visit http://PBLA.com.
About the PBLA
The PBLA was established to help further grow the sport of lacrosse and create the most exciting brand of professional box lacrosse in North America. The PBLA’s mission is to bring the world of professional, high-energy, indoor lacrosse to fans across the United States. The PBLA believes there’s a tremendous opportunity to improve the game of professional box lacrosse by bringing back American players to compete in non-stop, riveting contests that will bring every fan to their feet and show everyone why Lacrosse is the fastest growing sport in the country.
