2011 MLL Draft to Happen in January

by Brian J. Leung on Dec 11, 2025 5:01 PM EST

Major League Lacrosse will be holding their 2011 draft on January 21 this year at ESPNZone in Baltimore. That's right. Before the college seniors get into their final season. Players won't be invited to attend or participate in the draft, per NCAA regulations, but they can attend if they want. MLL Commissioner David Gross hopes that the earlier draft date will create a buzz about the MLL throughout the college lacrosse season.

One of the reasons driving this change is that players whose teams are not going deep into the postseason tournament can now start playing professionally immediately following the final regular season game.

“If a player's team is done with the tournament, that player shouldn't have to wait a few more weeks,” Gross said in an InsideLacrosse article.

I'm not convinced this is a great idea for MLL, whose teams must evaluate players before they truly peak their senior season. I also wonder whether players who know they are being drafted to one of the better lacrosse teams are going to forgo their senior season in order to start getting paid better. With little incentive to compete their senior season, is the competitiveness found in NCAA lacrosse be at stake here?

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I like the idea

Better than joining a team in the middle of the season.

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by Marisa Ingemi on Dec 11, 2025 6:37 PM EST reply actions

That doesn’t have to be an option though, right? Have the draft immediately after the season. Here, if a high-potential senior gets drafted, then has a subpar year, he could always drop out midseason go help his contract out, right?

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by Brian J. Leung on Dec 11, 2025 9:59 PM EST via mobile reply actions

This could hurt college lax in the long run

if they adopt a policy allowing one and dones or two and throughs or coming in out of high school.

by adselver15 on Dec 12, 2025 6:04 PM EST reply actions

I think the glory of college lacrosse will outweigh the lack of notoriety in playing in the MLL. Unless the pro game grows more, it shouldn’t affect much.

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by Zachary Zielonka on Dec 12, 2025 9:45 PM EST up reply actions

How much do MLL players make? Probably not much.

and I won’t watch a league that replaces the restraining box with a 2 point arc. How do they call ten seconds in that league?

by adselver15 on Dec 12, 2025 9:46 PM EST up reply actions

I know that

the average salary in the NLL is $14,000, so the MLL is probably less.

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by Marisa Ingemi on Dec 15, 2025 1:45 PM EST up reply actions

MLL Average

Is about 13K with rookies making about 6500 a year, if that much. Depending on the tier of the player as well. There are franchise players as well who are making the “big bucks”—20-25K/year.

Also, the ones who are actually making the money are guys like Rabil and Kyle Harrison, who are sponsored by STX and Warrior and those names. Thats where the real money comes from.

One last point, ive overheard from MLL players that some get $100 just to practice—alot of times guys are drafted just for the practice squad. Some say its anywhere between 300-500 per game

by justinsimon15 on Dec 15, 2025 7:42 PM EST reply actions