Major League Lacrosse Lands Team in Fairfield; Stags Welcome Hammerheads

The Stags of Fairfield University will have some professional company this year.  Major League Lacrosse has announced that the league’s newest franchise, the Connecticut Hammerheads, will host their games on Conway Field at Rafferty Stadium, which was built in 2015 on the Fairfield University Campus. Play for the 2020 season begins in late May.

“We are thrilled to bring the first major professional team to Fairfield,” said Commissioner Alexander Brown. “MLL enjoyed a tremendous experience hosting a 2016 semifinal game at Fairfield, and we know that Fairfield University offers our athletes, fans and partners the ideal viewing experience. With a growing national spotlight in our sport, Connecticut seemed a perfect fit to host the next MLL team.”

Rafferty Stadium is a 3,500-seat venue that features state-of-the-art-sound and lighting and a FieldTurf playing surface. The facility contains a Daktronics HD video board, two VIP suites and a press box that features a large media suite.

“We are proud to welcome the Hammerheads to their new home at Conway Field at Rafferty Stadium. We appreciate the league’s confidence in Fairfield University and are excited to welcome lacrosse fans from across the region to visit our campus,” said Jennifer Anderson, Fairfield University Vice President of Marketing and Communications.

Last month, the league announced a new operating structure for the start of its 20th season in 2020.  Ending the franchise model well-known in other major sports, the league announced it will “operate under a unified ownership group that is capitalized for growth. Incorporated in the strategic plan is the relocation of select teams, thus streamlining the league and creating the greatest opportunity for additional investment.” Major League Lacrosse is based in Boston.

In 2019 MLL saw a 16% increase in total attendance year-over-year. Four of MLL’s teams experienced double-digit attendance growth.  The Dallas franchise was disbanded just weeks before the new team was announced for Fairfield, and it is anticipated that many of the players, now under contract to the league, will find their way to the Connecticut roster.  The 2020 MLL Regular Season begins on May 30. 

Just three weeks ago, Fairfield University Lacrosse announced it had partnered with the Lax Sports Network to present all 14 men's and women's lacrosse home games this season. Games will be available live on the Lax Sports Network and the FTFNext app. The competitive men's and women's schedules for Fairfield's 2020 lacrosse campaign made it an easy decision to include all home games in the Lax Sports Network programming lineup," said Rob Wallace, COO, Lax Sports Network. "In addition to the CAA Game of the Week, the Stags will bring key Division I match-ups to lacrosse fans everywhere." 

MLL will continue its partnerships with both ESPN and Lax Sports Network (LSN) to bring games to screens across the country. ESPN, via its ESPN+ service, will feature a Game of the Week. The league’s All-Star Game, taking place July 27, will be broadcast on ESPN2, while the Championship on September 29, will be shown on ESPNEWS.

The Hammerheads team branding is deeply rooted in Connecticut history, with officials noting that its colors represent the state’s official flag and its mascot represents the “diverse marine species found in both the Atlantic Ocean and Long Island Sound.

Major League Lacrosse began play in 2001 to capitalize on the growing demand for world-class field lacrosse driven by dramatic growth in the U.S. lacrosse market. At the moment, MLL is comprised of six teams across the US. The Boston Cannons, Chesapeake Bayhawks (formerly Baltimore and Washington) and New York Lizards (formally Long Island) are original teams starting in 2001. The Denver Outlaws began play in 2006.  The Boston MLL team play in Quincy.   Unconfirmed reports have the Atlanta Blaze relocating to Philadelphia.

Major League Lacrosse boasts what it describes as the premier 230 lacrosse players in the world, who also hail from some of the nation's top academic institutions. In contrast to other professional sports leagues, players are only eligible for the MLL Collegiate Draft after they have exhausted their four years of NCAA eligibility, officials point out, giving MLL the “highest graduation rate of any professional sport in North America.”

A formal announcement will occur in Fairfield on February 28, to which fans will be invited, officials said.

“We are thrilled to welcome Major League Lacrosse and the Connecticut Hammerheads to the Fairfield University campus,” Paul Schlickmann, Fairfield Director of Athletics added. “As our athletic programs continue to grow, it is important to build strategic partnerships with organizations like the MLL to expand our reputation nationally and showcase our exceptional facilities such as Conway Field at Rafferty Stadium.” Schlickmann joined Fairfield in 2017, following seven years as Director of Athletics at Central Connecticut State University in New Britain.  Earlier in his career he spent ten years as a senior administrator at Yale culminating in a role as Associate Athletics Director for Administration and Football Operations.

In 2019, the Stags had an overall season record of 5-9, losing all five conference matches but finishing 5-4 in non-conference match-ups.  The finished 4-11 in 2018. Fairfield University is a modern, Jesuit Catholic university rooted in one of the world’s oldest intellectual and spiritual traditions. More than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students from the U.S. and across the globe are pursuing degrees in the University’s five schools.

Major League Lacrosse has named Bill Warder head coach of the Hammerheads. Warder has served as a coach in Major League Lacrosse for twelve years. In that time, he was the assistant coach for the 2008 MLL champions and was named the 2018 MLL Coach of the Year. He had a decorated playing career as the starting goalie for Hobart College for the 1993 Division III NCAA National Championship team and the 1994 Division III finalist, then played professionally in MLL and the National Lacrosse League (NLL).

The last MLL team to operate in Connecticut was the Bridgeport Barrage, who played in Connecticut from 2001-03 before relocating to Philadelphia from 2004-08, US Lacrosse magazine reported. The Barrage folded prior to the 2009 season.  For information on tickets for the Hammerheads’ 2020 season, please email: info@CTHammerheads.com