By Theresa Smith
Special to The Denver Post
The National Lacrosse League is exploring adding a summer outdoor pro field league, beginning in 2007. An ad-hoc committee was formed two weeks ago, spurred in part by the funding of a new sponsor, Reebok. NLL commissioner Jim Jennings will attend today’s groundbreaking of Prairie Gateway, the Colorado Rapids’ new stadium, and the expected home of a proposed Colorado Mammoth outdoor team.
Mammoth general manager Steve Govett, a member of the ad-hoc committee, deferred to Jennings’ comments from today’s ceremony with the exception of saying: “If it existed, we will definitely put a team in the NLL Outdoor.”
The Professional Lacrosse Players Association has been apprised of the NLL’s plans, which create competition with Major League Lacrosse. The MLL adds four teams next summer, including a Denver-based team owned by Broncos owner Pat Bowlen.
Ted Dowling, a nominee for the PLPA presidency, said he did not feel comfortable discussing the issue until after the elections. PLPA president Peter Schmitz and PLPA treasurer Gee Nash of the Mammoth, were unavailable for comment.
