Alright, so I was meaning to share this little journey I went on the other day. It’s about what these professional lacrosse players are actually making. My nephew, bless his soul, suddenly got it in his head he’s gonna be the next big lacrosse star. You know how kids get these big dreams. So, I figured, let me take a peek and see what the real deal is with the money in pro lacrosse.
First place I started poking around was the National Lacrosse League, or NLL. That’s the one mostly played indoors. My first thought was, okay, let’s see these big numbers. Well, it ain’t exactly like football or basketball money, let me tell ya. For most of the guys in the NLL, you’re looking at something like $10,000 to $25,000 for a season. Yeah, per season. The top players, the real standouts, they might pull in over $34,000. So, it’s something, but probably not enough to quit your day job for most of ’em.
Then, my digging led me to the Premier Lacrosse League – the PLL. This is the outdoor league. I heard that big name, Paul Rabil, had a lot to do with getting this one going. Think I read he’s chilling out in Manhattan Beach somewhere. Anyway, the PLL, they do things a bit differently with the cash. As of 2023, each team in the PLL has a salary cap of around $735,000. And get this, they have to spend at least 98% of that each year. The floor for a player, the minimum they can get, is $25,000. So, after they pay everyone that minimum, there’s still a good chunk, ’bout $100,000 per team, to spread around to the better players or for bonuses, I guess. So, some folks in the PLL are definitely earning a more decent paycheck.
You wanna know why I even bothered looking all this up? My sister calls me, all in a panic. Her son, young Tom, he’s suddenly dead set on this lacrosse thing, thinking he’s gonna make millions. She’s asking me, “Is this a real career path? Can he actually make a living?” So, I told her I’d sniff around. Ended up spending a whole afternoon clicking through websites and articles. Pretty sure I was supposed to be fixing that leaky pipe under the sink my wife’s been on me about. But you know how it is, one thing leads to another online, and suddenly I’m an expert on lacrosse league finances.
So, to break it down, you’ve got the NLL, which is a bit more established, with its 14 teams split between the U.S. and Canada, and their main office is in Philadelphia. Then there’s the PLL, seems a bit newer, maybe a bit more hype, and the pay structure looks a bit better, especially that minimum salary. It’s not mega-bucks for most of these guys, that’s for sure. But if you’re really good, and you love the game, you can make some money, particularly in the PLL. Still, I told my sister to make sure young Tom keeps hitting the books. Good to have a backup plan, always.
It just goes to show, you gotta do your own homework on these things. Don’t just listen to what sounds good or what some recruiter might tell ya. The real numbers are out there if you just spend a little time looking. That’s just my take on it.
