SALT LAKE CITY — When it was announced in late May that the National Women’s Soccer League would be playing a tournament from June 27-July 26 primarily at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman, Utah Royals FC and Real Salt Lake owner Dell Loy Hansen said there would be a tournament from another professional league played there later this summer.
On Thursday, the Premier Lacrosse League, which began in 2019, formally announced that it will hold the PLL Championship Series there from July 25-Aug. 9.
While the NWSL’s tournament will conclude July 26, it will transition to Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy starting with the semifinals in mid-July.
The PLL Championship Series will have 20 total games for the league’s seven teams, and all games will appear on NBC networks. All the traveling parties for each team will stay at accommodations near the stadium throughout the tournament.
No fans will be allowed to attend games.
“The support of Utah Gov. Gary Herbert, Real Salt Lake owner Dell Loy Hansen and the larger Utah Sports Commission have been invaluable in the process of bringing the PLL Championship Series to a reality,” PLL co-founder and CEO Mike Rabil said in a statement. “With their world-class operators and state-of-the-art facilities we can bring our best version of the PLL to fans around the world.”
In the first week of the tournament, there will be a 14-game group play phase that will determine seeding for a single elimination tournament that will be played the next week.
A full schedule will be announced at a later date.
“The Utah Sports Commission is excited to partner with Dell Loy Hansen and his organization to host the PLL Championship series in Utah,” said Jeff Robbins, the commission’s president and CEO, in a statement. “The event will drive much needed, significant economic impact to Utah as we welcome the Premier Lacrosse League’s Championship Series to our great state.”
Participants in the tournament will be required to self-quarantine for two weeks before leaving for Utah, and they will be tested for the coronavirus immediately before leaving and immediately upon arrival. They will then be tested regularly throughout the tournament.
“Utah’s best in class health care system and dedicated medical professionals have created the public health and safety environment to allow us to host this event at such a critical time,” Hansen said in a statement. “I’m grateful that the PLL has recognized Utah and Zions Bank Training Center as the place to host this historic tournament. We welcome the world’s best lacrosse players to Utah, and are confident that with the health and safety protocols in place, the event will be hugely successful.”