The NLL and San Diego Seals announced on November 7 that the Seals will host the Colorado Mammoth at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, February 1, 2020 in Las Vegas. This will be the first game in NLL history to be played in Las Vegas during what is traditionally the city’s biggest sports weekend of the year with Super Bowl Sunday being the following day.
“For 33 years, the National Lacrosse League has brought energy and excitement to millions of fans across North America. We are thrilled to collaborate with the San Diego Seals to create this incredible opportunity for their fans as well as the Colorado Mammoth fans to experience a unique and spectacular event,” said NLL Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz. “As we continue to expand our amazing product to fans across North America and around the world, we are always looking to our future, and are excited to be working with Seals owner Joe Tsai, Steve Govett, the Orleans Arena and all our partners to create this unique event in Las Vegas on the City’s biggest weekend of the year.”
“We’re honored to represent the National Lacrosse League for the first-ever game in Las Vegas, and to bring the Seals faithful on the road with us by providing complimentary hotels to many of our fans,” said Seals President Steve Govett. “The additional benefit of showcasing professional box lacrosse to a new audience is exciting. The atmosphere at Orleans Arena is going to be electric, and we look forward to exposing the sport to a brand-new fan base in an iconic city.”
The NLL’s move to have a game in Las Vegas should not be all too surprising. Earlier this year, MGM Resorts submitted an application for an NLL expansion franchise.
The NLL has strategically targeted NHL markets during expansion in the past, finding success with franchises such as Buffalo, Calgary, Colorado and Toronto and expecting similar results from Vancouver and New York. The NHL recently added the Vegas Golden Knights as an expansion franchise in 2017 and the city of Las Vegas has proven they can be a profitable sports town. Could “Lax Vegas” be the next stop in NLL expansion?
Las Vegas was a possible destination for the NLL in the past back in 2015 when the Swarm moved from Minnesota. Las Vegas, along with Nashville, were both considered, but plans ultimately fell through and the Swarm moved to Georgia.
For now, NLL fans will get a taste of the fastest game on two feet this winter at Orleans Arena and the rest of us will continue to watch closely to see if a future Las Vegas NLL franchise is in the cards.
