PLL to open 2026 on May 9th with expanded summer schedule, player compensation set to increase

PLL players were informed last week of a change to the PLL calendar, sources confirmed to Sticks In Lacrosse. In the upcoming PLL season, the first game of the year is expected to be played on Saturday May 9th. That is a full two weeks prior to Memorial Day Weekend, overlapping with the start of the NCAA tournament. The season will also tack on time at the end, wrapping up in late September. The target for championship weekend is September 20th. The league will also have a pair of bye weeks in June. It’s an addition of several weeks to the schedule, both starting while college is still playing and pushing further into the end of summer. Players also were informed of increases to player compensation for the 2026 season, including a 15% year over year average compensation increase and the introduction of new bonus opportunities.

The earlier start and later end means more games on the schedule, even with two weeks off in June. Additional games means more ticket sales, more TV spots, more merch moving on site, and more opportunities in more markets. From a business standpoint, it’s a plain and simple way for the PLL to raise more revenue. Just play more games. More revenue means more money for players.

Average player compensation is increasing 15% year over year from 2025. The salary cap is being increased by 11%. The increase in compensation and salary cap means that, in free agency, teams should be able to make players offers that are meaningfully different in the amount of compensation, which wasn’t always true in the past. The merchandise royalty percentage that players receive is increasing. The league is introducing playoff bonuses, with additional compensation for players on teams that make the postseason, and an additional bonus to players who win the championship. Stock options available to players are also increasing. These increases are just for summer; the bonuses and compensation for events like the Championship Series remain available, as do opportunities for what is commonly called “marketing money” - pay for appearances, working PLL events and camps, endorsements, and more. Average player salary is still not at a point where it can be a player's only source of income, but the increase is progress towards that goal.

An expanded calendar also has its challenges. Several players are potentially negatively impacted by an earlier season start. There are PLL pros who currently coach college lacrosse. Ryder Garnsey at Notre Dame, Logan Wisnauskas at Brown, Jack Rowlett at Boston University, that’s just a small sample and only considers those coaching at the D1 level. Coaches in the NCAA tournament will miss week one of the PLL season. The eight first round games of the NCAA tournament are played on May 9 and May 10. Should, as an example, Notre Dame make the NCAA title game, that could mean a player like Ryder Garnsey is unavailable for the season’s first three weeks. PLL players who coach high school teams that are competing for championships may also be affected. This has been an issue in the past for some players, and even PLL coaches. With more games being played it's a smaller chunk than before, but still missed games.

NLL pros who are in playoff contention will also likely not yet be available, although this has happened in the past. While for the last two years the NLL postseason has concluded prior to the start of the PLL season, there have been instances where seasons overlap. PLL clubs would not get their players back from the indoor season until after the playoffs ended, a scenario that was not popular with the players or fans. Dawson Nielson of Inside Lacrosse and the Loose Mesh Podcast tweeted that the NLL and PLL have begun working together on a more unified schedule, which would help avoid overlap.

For a small group of players, this schedule also means effectively no breaks in the calendar year of lacrosse anymore. If a player plays in the PLL and NLL, and that player also is in the mix for Team USA or their national team, it’s non-stop. PLL season starts in early May and runs through the summer, ending in late September. Team USA runs training events in October. NLL training camp starts in November, leading into the NLL season starting in late November/early December. That season runs through late April and early May, and the player starts the cycle over again. It’s a grueling calendar for the few who are part of all those teams, but that few are also some of the sport’s biggest stars. 

Finally, the college draft will not be moved. This puts teams in a precarious position. Joey Spallina is considered to be one of if not the best prospect in the draft. Syracuse is also a popular pick to be a Final Four team. General managers will have to weigh the fact that Spallina, or other high level prospects, are worthy of high picks, but also potentially not available the first month of the season. Would it be safer to take one of the high level prospects from a team that doesn't make the NCAA tournament, just to have the instant impact on your pro team? A rookie joining the PLL season four weeks in, with no training camp, is a more challenging adjustment than the current situation. Though for the most part, rookies adjust well to the PLL thanks to being in a regular routine and already sharp with their sticks. Back in the MLL days, this schedule was commonplace, with players being drafted during their senior season, then the MLL season starting before the college season ended, and rookies joining their pro club after a few games. In fact, the MLL even held their draft in January from 2011 to 2016. 

The push into later September also means the conflict with pro football remains. The NFL will be in week three of the regular season, so the overlap with pro football that is bemoaned by many fans is still a factor. The expanded schedule and increases in compensation come on the heels of a new media rights deal with ESPN.