The Rochester Knighthawks are staying at home. The NLL announced that the team had been acquired by the Seneca Nation, who will keep the franchise in Rochester.
The announcement was made in a press conference on Tuesday, held at the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester.
ROCHESTER is HOME!🏠 @TheSenecaNation | @NLL pic.twitter.com/pqTOLSST1F
— Rochester Knighthawks (@RocKnighthawks) August 5, 2025
The move follows months of speculation after the Knighthawks ceased operations on June 30th. The team was previously owned by the Pegula family, who also owns the NLL’s Buffalo Bandits. According to this article from Forbes, the team will also keep the Knighthawks name, colours, and marks.
The full press conference was streamed on NLL+ and can be found here.
Terms of the deal are confidential, but NLL Commissioner Brett Frood said at the press conference that “we are excited about the valuations of this league and the growth, and the trajectory of the enterprise value.”
In a statement released by the Knighthawks, Seneca Nation President J. Conrad Seneca said, “this announcement is rooted in tradition and history and fueled by passion and excitement. Lacrosse is part of our culture and Rochester is part of our ancestral home. Our ancestors were the first people to share the game of lacrosse with the world. It was gifted to them by the Creator as a spiritual game and a game of healing. The Seneca Nation is thrilled to celebrate our connection to the Creator’s Game and to this community by keeping the Knighthawks in Rochester.”
The Knighthawks also announced in the statement that Dan Carey would remain with the franchise, adding the title of President alongside his continuing role as General Manager.
“This isn’t just about lacrosse,” said Carey. “This is about culture, tradition and family. The Seneca (are) a founding people of this region and lacrosse is a game that has been part of their culture for centuries. To have the Knighthawks now owned by the original stewards of the game is deeply meaningful.
According to Frood, the negotiations with the Seneca Nation began several months ago, with the talks really intensifying in the last two months.
“We fast tracked it, very quickly” said Frood. “It was a tedious process with a wonderful, ideal, utopian result.”
While the Seneca Nation operates Casinos in upstate New York, the Knighthawks were acquired by Seneca Holdings LLC, which specifically invests in non-gaming businesses. Seneca Holdings is the parent company of the Seneca Nation Group, which comprises the business arm of the Seneca Nation.
According to their website, “the goal of Seneca Holdings is to diversify the Seneca Nation’s revenue streams.”
When asked about how long the Seneca Nation will be involved, Frood said, “they’re in it for the long haul. They are in it to win championships and grow in this community, and be a major part of not only Rochester but the National Lacrosse League ecosystem into perpetuity.”
President Seneca played lacrosse himself, and referred to his experience scoring his first goal in Rochester as a child in the 1960s during the press conference. He also referred to the Buffalo Braves, an NBA team which left upstate New York in 1978.
“I remember as a kid, the effect that it had on me when a sports team was taken from a city and fanbase,” said Seneca. “For us to be able to step in and take possession of this team and this franchise and to keep it in Rochester, I think means a great deal to you, the team, and to the fanbase and the people of this community of Rochester and this region.”
The Knighthawks have been a member of the NLL since the league’s creation in 1998. They were re-established ahead of the 2020 season after the original Knighthawks franchise moved to Halifax. Tuesday’s announcement means that the Knighthawks will continue their tradition in the city.
The Seneca Nation is a sovereign Native Nation and the largest nation of the Haudenosaunee, also known as the Iroquois Confederacy. The Seneca people have lived on the lands in what is today the western part of New York State for time immemorial, and have made countless contributions to the region’s history, culture, and economy. Today, the Seneca Nation has more than 8,500 enrolled members, most of whom live on several distinct territories in Western New York.
The Knighthawks are offering season tickets for the 2025-2026 season, which can be purchased here.