The grand vision commissioner Jim Jennings has for the National Lacrosse League includes expansion to 24 teams.
It is a daring plan, and Jennings might just pull it off. To that end, the 45-year-old native of New Jersey has been given a contract extension through 2009 to try and turn the NLL into a big-time attraction.
He's been the commish since 2001 and has overseen the league's growth from a nine-team eastern regional operation to a 13-team, continent-wide concern. A new season will begin the last weekend of December.
``I'm excited for the future as we continue to grow our league and the sport of lacrosse as a whole,'' Jennings said in agreeing to the extension.
The NLL will have a weekly live Saturday night TV game on Versus (formerly the Outdoor Life Network) in the United States this season, and a similar deal soon will be announced in Canada. As well, some teams have regional deals of their own.
The Toronto Rock, the Calgary Roughnecks and the Edmonton Rush are the NLL teams based in Canada.
Toronto and Denver are the league's hot spots. The Rock average more than 16,000 spectators a game at Air Canada Centre, while the champion Colorado Mammoth do as well in Denver's Pepsi Center.
Expansion is a must to increase the league's TV ratings, which would lead to increased advertising and more sponsors.
``The five-year plan would be to get up to 24 teams,'' Jennings said in an interview Tuesday. ``That's what we're trying to get to.''
Canadian cities will be added.
``We think we'll be back in Montreal and Vancouver, but we have to find the right ownership models this time,'' he says. ``But we feel they are definites for us.''
The Rock are to play an exhibition game in Winnipeg against the Minnesota Swarm on Dec. 9.
``I like Winnipeg,'' says Jennings. ``I think that would be a good city for us.
``Montreal, Vancouver, Winnipeg _ those three cities in particular are the front-runners for expansion in Canada.''
He'd like to add two or three teams a year across the continent.
A key to the adventurous expansion plan is to get more field lacrosse players from U.S. universities to learn the indoor game. Today, the majority of NLL players come from Canadian box lacrosse leagues primarily in Ontario and British Columbia.
``We have to develop U.S. talent to stream into this plan,'' says Jennings. ``We're focused on that now through our competition and expansion committees.''
A developmental league has long been proposed.
``We're going to start talking about that again,'' says Jennings. ``It's a must if we want to expand'' to the 24 teams he envisions.
Teams play 16-game schedules into April. More games might be added down the line.
``It's something we'll look at again in the off-season,'' says Jennings. ``I don't think you'll ever see us doing a NHL- or NBA-like schedule, but there might be an opportunity to increase the number of games.''
A format with 10 home and 10 away games might become desirable.
