Kyle Rullan dodges to shoot against the Pride of Patty during Week 2 of the inaugural Sixes Prize League season
The last time Pittsburgh hosted a lacrosse game where players were paid to play the oldest game in North America was in 2000. The Pittsburgh Crossefire took on the Syracuse Smash in a losing effort on March 25 at Mellon Arena for a National Lacrosse League (NLL) regular season game. NLL players then earned an $8,000 wage for a 12-game season, or $666.66 per game, according to a 1999 Sports Business Journal article.
Alexander Young
Since March 25, 2000, the city of Pittsburgh has not hosted a play-for-pay lacrosse game, league or tournament until now. The Sixes Prize League (SPL) continues its inaugural season tonight, December 11, 2023, as week two kicks off in Monroeville, Pa. at the All American Field House from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. where six teams compete to win $3,000 cash.
With lacrosse sixes now part of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, the growth of lacrosse worldwide accelerates again. Pittsburgh is doing its part by hosting the Sixes Prize League, which is the only lacrosse league in the world dedicated to sixes that pays money to players or a champion.
Founded by Alexander Young, a former lacrosse player at Shady Side Academy who committed to Furman University, the Sixes Prize League has 58 players, many of whom are former WPIAL lacrosse stars who went on to have careers collegiately at the NCAA Division I, II or III levels.
Zach Romac of the Barrel Vision during Week 1 of the inaugural Sixes Prize League season
Each SPL game is broadcast on TV via the stream app called Boxcast, which viewers can access on their SmartTV with Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV or Roku. Viewers can also watch games at SixesPrizeLeague.com/watch-the-spl and Chromecast the broadcast stream to their SmartTV, or attend games for free at the Field House. Darren Zaslau, the play-by-play broadcaster for 22 The Point’s Friday Night Rivals high school football games, is the commentator for all SPL games.
The cardinal sponsors for the first Sixes Prize League campaign are Yellow Bridge Digital, Zeds, Big Burrito Restaurant Group and Laxyardigans.
The $3,000 Sixes Prize League Championship game occurs on January 8, 2024 at 8:30 p.m.
Watch the SPL here and read more about the league in the Trib here.