One of the best kept secrets in the lacrosse world is NLL preseason games. The competition is fierce (with several players competing for spots and roles), and the games are a very accessible way for fans to get up close and personal with the games biggest stars.
Unfortunately, this experience has traditionally been reserved for those in the Greater Toronto Area, but thanks to league expansion and a few new facilities, there are more games in more places than ever before.
The league announced a full schedule for the preseason, with the asterisk that not all games will be available to the public. Here is the upcoming schedule for games, sorted by venue.
Iroquois Lacrosse Arena – Six Nations
As one of the longtime training camp locations, the ILA will host several games this fall. Fans will be able to see Dyson Williams make his preseason debut, see Jeff Teat and the Ottawa Black Bears make their transition to the red and black uniforms, and see the two-time defending champions as well.
Saturday November 9, 6 PM – Albany vs Halifax
Saturday November 9, 8 PM – Ottawa vs Georgia
Sunday November 10, Noon – Albany vs Rochester
Saturday November 16, 7 PM – Georgia vs Halifax
Sunday November 17, 3:30 PM – Philadelphia vs Albany
Saturday November 23, 5 PM – Ottawa vs Halifax
Saturday November 23, 8 PM – Buffalo vs Georgia
The ILA has hosted some legendary events in its history, including the most recent Mann Cup. It was also home to the most famous preseason game of all time (237k all-time views).
Toronto Rock Athletic Center – Oakville, Ontario
Another longtime training camp venue, the TRAC will host all of the Rock games and several others. Fans in Oakville will have the chance to watch the Calgary Roughnecks, Vegas Desert Dogs, Colorado Mammoth and Saskatchewan Rush, all of whom rarely play in Toronto.
The Rock usually include a charitable food drive as part of their games, so make sure to stay tuned for that!
Below is the full TRAC schedule.
Saturday November 9, 7 PM – Calgary Roughnecks vs Toronto Rock
Friday November 15, 8 PM – Saskatchewan Rush vs Vegas Desert Dogs
Saturday November 16, 7 PM – Saskatchewan Rush vs Toronto Rock
Saturday November 23, 2 PM – Colorado Mammoth vs Rochester Knighthawks
Saturday November 23, 7 PM – Philadelphia Wings vs Toronto Rock
Meridian Center – St. Catharine’s, Ontario
A new venue this year, the Meridian Center will host the 2025 Minto Cup, and the exhibition game between Buffalo and Vegas will be a fundraiser for that tournament.
The game will take place on November 16 at 7 PM, and tickets will need to be purchased. Check out the link shared by the Bandits earlier this week.
Langley Events Center – Langley, British Columbia
Another venue that has hosted a plethora of lacrosse events, the LEC will host two games this year. The first will be held in the field house, the smaller second pad at the venue. And the second will be held in the main bowl. Both games will feature the hometown Vancouver Warriors.
Saturday November 9, 7 PM PT – Colorado Mammoth vs Vancouver Warriors
Saturday November 23, 7 PM PT – Vancouver Warriors vs Calgary Roughnecks
Memorial Arena – Brampton, Ontario
One of the oldest barns in the sport, Memorial has a small playing surface which leads to exciting lacrosse and usually some disagreements on the floor. It will host two games this year, including the homecoming for Ottawa Black Bear Jeff Teat.
Sunday November 10, Noon – Philadelphia Wings vs Calgary Roughnecks
Saturday November 16, 7 PM – Ottawa Black Bears vs Vegas Desert Dogs
Seals Practice Facility – San Diego, California
For the first time, the Seals will host other teams in SOCAL after building their own practice facility. The Colorado Mammoth and Vegas Desert Dogs will both fly out to the West Coast for camp, and the Seals will host two preseason scrimmages.
Saturday November 9, 8 PM – Vegas Desert Dogs vs San Diego Seals
Saturday November 16th, 8:30 PM – Colorado Mammoth vs San Diego Seals
Hope you can make it out there!
Is memorial arena allowing public to watch the Calgary and Philly game?
Are any of the 2024 NLL exhibition games available to watch online? Is there a livestream feed at any of the arenas?
The only ones we are aware of that are streamed are the Rock games. The link for the Toronto game this past weekend is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UY1BgI7BIWM