Today’s guest columnist is Marc Riccio, CEO of USA Lacrosse.
ESPN has recently invested in lacrosse rights from virtually every major lacrosse property. This includes World Lacrosse championships for men and women (i.e., the U.S. national teams), Athletes Unlimited (women’s outdoor), the Premier Lacrosse League (men’s outdoor), and the National Lacrosse League (men’s indoor). The broadcaster also holds the NCAA rights, which drew nearly 500,000 viewers for the men’s and 600,000 for the women’s Division I championships last Memorial Day.
So why did ESPN go all in on lacrosse? Growth. Lacrosse has upside as a gender equitable, highly athletic, dynamic game. Research shows lacrosse has 800,000 core participants and over 2 million casual participants, yet it’s still only a sanctioned high school sport in 24 states. That represents significant upside.
But why the consistent talk of growth? Doesn’t it feel like lacrosse always talks about growth? That’s because for a long stretch lacrosse grew exponentially, but COVID-19 and its adverse impact on youth sports stymied that climb. Now, it is important to intentionally reinvigorate that growth mindset and momentum.
But growth, as we see it, needs to have a purpose. First, the game must be accessible. You cannot grow if kids don’t have a welcoming, accessible pathway to play in their community. Second, the game must be commercially viable at all levels. Fair and sound business models that provide access to play at the youth level, and access to entertainment at the pro level, are important for any sports property to be relevant and thrive.
In my first year at USA Lacrosse, we have focused on strategies that grow our game’s total audience. More fans and players alike will benefit everyone in the game. We have partnerships with all the pro leagues and key constituencies that include the NCAA, men’s and women’s college coaches, hundreds of town leagues and recreational youth groups, club lacrosse operators, and lacrosse equipment manufacturers. We have embraced working together because we cannot splinter our audience and players.
One of our strategies is focusing on big moments in our calendar that bring the fan base and important lacrosse stakeholders together, because such moments drive engagement and scale. Possibly the grandest of those potential big moments is the Olympics, and lacrosse is under consideration for LA28.
The Games are considering lacrosse Sixes (six-on-six on a smaller field), a version of the sport that’s even more accessible and viable. The smaller roster size lowers the barrier to entry for countries around the globe and makes it easier for developing programs to field more competitive teams. Internationally, 79 countries across six continents are now members of World Lacrosse, the IOC-recognized international federation.
Even better, lacrosse Sixes is fast-paced, athletic, creative, and the players love it. I’ve worked all across sports, from the New York Jets to German soccer’s Bundesliga to global esports, and more than at any other stop, I hear players say, “Lacrosse has changed my life.”
Why?
Lacrosse is The Medicine Game, gifted to Native Americans by the Creator. In turn, Native peoples have shared this game with the world, and we are forever grateful. This game’s spiritual roots are compelling. It is the foundation of what makes this game so special. I encourage you to learn more about it.
At USA Lacrosse, we will continue to innovate and creatively support access and growth in the game. We want as many people as possible to experience the same feelings as those players who have had their lives changed. Growth, with purpose.
Marc Riccio is the CEO of USA Lacrosse, a nearly 400,000-member organization that serves as the governing body of the sport in the U.S. A collegiate lacrosse player at Hofstra, Riccio’s professional experience has led to specialties in media, fan engagement, sport and entertainment business operations, building new companies, revenue generation, executive leadership and employee development.
