ALL-STAR GAME TO BE HOSTED IN HOUSTON AT BBVA COMPASS STADIUM, JUNE 13.
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME TO RETURN TO GEORGIA AT FIFTH THIRD BANK STADIUM, AUGUST 8.
BOSTON January 23, 2015 – Major League Lacrosse, the premier professional outdoor lacrosse league, announced today the locations for its marquee special events, the 2015 All-Star Game and the 2015 Championship Game. The 2015 All-Star Game will be hosted at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston Texas on Friday, June 13. This will be the first ever MLL event held in the city of Houston. The MLL season will culminate once again in Georgia on Saturday, August 8 with the 2015 Championship Game hosted at Fifth Third Bank Stadium on the campus of Kennesaw State University. The event closed out the 2014 season with rave reviews and support from the surrounding community, making it an easy choice to repeat as host. Both games will be nationally televised live on CBS Sports Network.
Regarding the All-Star Game:
“We’re excited to bring the MLL All-Star Game to Houston. We’ve been watching the growth of the sport in Texas and want to give the great fans in the region a taste of the MLL. Working together with Savoy Sports Advisors, the Harris County – Houston Sports Authority and the Houston Chapter of US Lacrosse, we’re sure we can make this a memorable event,” said MLL Commissioner David Gross.
For the city of Houston and its surrounding communities, hosting the MLL All-Star Game is yet another testament to the growth of lacrosse in emerging markets across the United States. Houston youth lacrosse has seen tremendous growth in participation at the recreational, club and select level in recent years. Many programs have seen participation rates increase by 30% year over year. The greater Houston area boasts more than 30 independent youth clubs, each with girls and boys programs ranging from youth through high school. Recent success in Houston lacrosse has increased recognition by nationally recognized programs and organizations, which has increased recruiting activity and success on a national level for the area.
MLL will work with a strong local partnership group in Houston, led by Savoy Sports Advisors, the Harris County – Houston Sports Authority and the Houston Chapter of US Lacrosse.
Savoy Sports Advisors and local operating partners, Timon Lorenzo and Brendan Logue stated, “We are very excited to have the opportunity to work with Major League Lacrosse to showcase the world’s greatest players in Houston. The All-Star Weekend will be a great start in building on the success of the MLL and the growth of local youth programs in one of the most dynamic sports markets in the country.”
“As lacrosse enthusiasts, we’re extremely excited that the MLL will be bringing this marquee event to Houston for the first time,” said US Lacrosse Houston Chapter Board member Mark Golenzer. “There’s great passion for the game of lacrosse throughout the Greater Houston area, and the Houston Chapter looks forward to working with the MLL to help promote this game to the lacrosse community.”
Regarding the return of the Championship Game to Georgia:
Georgia will play host in celebrating 15 years of champions, as the MLL will return to Fifth Third Bank Stadium in Kennesaw to close out the 2015 season with the Championship Game on Saturday, August 8. Once again the League’s top two teams at the end of the regular season will host the semi-finals in their home markets on Saturday August 1, and the winners of those games will vie for the title the following week in Georgia.
“Coming off the success we experienced last summer, we’re thrilled to be bringing the MLL Championship Game back to Georgia. Everyone in the league was blown away by the local support that we received and how enthusiastic the fans were for the professional game. We’re excited to continue to build the event and the MLL brand in the southeast. We’ve been fortunate to work with great people at Fifth Third Bank Stadium, the Atlanta Sports Council, the Cobb County Alliance and LB3 Lacrosse,” said MLL Commissioner David Gross.
“Major League Lacrosse is a perfect fit for our venue, the enthusiastic fans are close to the fast action on the field and the sponsors work with us and the League to create a festive atmosphere throughout the whole day,” said Fifth Third Bank Stadium’s General Manger, Marty Elliott.
“Lacrosse participation is rapidly growing in metro Atlanta and we want more people in our community to be exposed to the sport because once you see it, you will love it. We’re confident that the unified effort between the Atlanta Sports Council, Cobb Sports Alliance, Kennesaw State University and Major League Lacrosse will ensure that the 2015 MLL Championship game is a huge success. We’re excited to have it back,” said Dan Corso, Executive Director for the Atlanta Sports Council.
Tickets for the 2015 MLL All-Star Game will go on sale to the public Monday, January 26.
Tickets for the 2015 MLL Championship Game will go on sale to the public Monday, February 2.
For more information about the 2015 MLL All-Star Game, the 2015 MLL Championship Game as well as the full 2015 regular season schedule, visit majorleaguelacrosse.com under Schedule & Events.
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About Major League Lacrosse
Major League Lacrosse (MLL), the premier professional outdoor lacrosse league, was founded by Jake Steinfeld and is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. Major League Lacrosse commenced play in June of 2001 and will enter its fifteenth season in 2015. MLL has continued to lead the sport of lacrosse into the mainstream of competitive team sports. The league is made up of eight teams: The Boston Cannons, Charlotte Hounds, Chesapeake Bayhawks, Denver Outlaws, Florida Launch, New York Lizards, Ohio Machine and Rochester Rattlers.
The 2015 season will commence on Sunday, April 12, 2015. More information about the league can be found at majorleagueacrosse.com and via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About BBVA Compass Stadium
BBVA Compass Stadium, managed by AEG Facilities and part of its global network of the most elite venues worldwide, is a state-of-the-art, open-air stadium designed to host Houston Dynamo matches and Texas Southern University football games as well as additional professional, collegiate and community sporting events, concerts, exhibitions, conventions and special events. Opened on May 12, 2012, the 340,000-square foot, 22,000-seat stadium is the first soccer-specific stadium in Major League Soccer located in a city’s downtown district. With its downtown location, the new stadium is a part of a true ‘Stadium District,’ which includes Minute Maid Park and the Toyota Center, as well as the George R. Brown Convention Center, Discovery Green, Warehouse Live and House of Blues.
About Fifth Third Bank Stadium
The Fifth Third Bank Stadium is a state of the art facility within the 88 picturesque acres of the Kennesaw State Sports and Entertainment Park sitting at the foot of Kennesaw Mountain. Located less than a mile from both 575 and I-75, the venue is 18 miles north of downtown Atlanta in Cobb County. Built in 2010, the stadium is home to the Kennesaw State Owls and also frequently hosts professional and international sporting events as well as concerts and festivals.
