John J. Arlotta Unanimously Approved By NLL Board of Governors as the New Owner of the Swarm

Published on July 16, 2008 under National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Minnesota Swarm News Release


SAINT PAUL/MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - The National Lacrosse League's (NLL) Minnesota Swarm announced today that the NLL Board of Governors has unanimously approved John J. Arlotta as the new owner of the franchise.

"We are pleased to introduce John Arlotta as our newest team owner in the National Lacrosse League," said NLL Commissioner Jim Jennings. "John is an incredibly successful businessman and has a great passion for lacrosse. We could not ask for a better combination in a new owner, and we welcome John and his family to the NLL."

Arlotta is the former Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Denver-based Coram Inc., a privately held provider of home infusion and specialty pharmacy services. Prior to Coram, he served as Chairman, President and CEO of NeighborCare Inc. Arlotta joined NeighborCare in July 2003, and took the company public in December of that year. From 1995 to 2000, he was President and Chief Operating Officer of Caremark Rx as well as the President of Caremark's specialty biotech drug distribution business. He started his health care career in 1971 at Chicago-based Baxter International.

"I am truly excited to officially take over the ownership of the Minnesota Swarm franchise, and I want to thank my good friend Craig Leipold for giving me this opportunity," said Arlotta. "The Swarm has made great strides both on and off the field in its first four seasons in the National Lacrosse League and I look forward to helping the organization achieve the ultimate goal of bringing a championship team to Minnesota."

Arlotta is a 1971 graduate of the University of Notre Dame who majored in marketing. He and his wife currently reside in Denver and Milwaukee and, in addition to John's three children, Mindy, Andy and Jon; they have two grandchildren, Devin and Riley.

Arlotta's son, Andy, will be a part owner and will join the Swarm on a full-time basis. He will be involved in a number of aspects of the business, including sales and sponsor relations. Andy is a 1999 graduate of Northern Illinois University, where he was a Division I wrestler. He has spent the last 10 years working in the healthcare industry, most recently as National Account Manager at Managed Healthcare Associates, a group purchasing organization for specialty pharmacies.

Arlotta and his wife, Bobbie, pledged the lead gift toward a new $5 million lacrosse stadium to be built for the University of Notre Dame's men's and women's lacrosse teams in June of 2007. Groundbreaking ceremonies for Arlotta Stadium were held on April 18, 2008.

Minnesota Sports & Entertainment (MSE) purchased an NLL franchise on August 10, 2004 and the Swarm began play in the 2005 season at the Xcel Energy Center. Minnesota recently completed its fourth campaign and set franchise records with 10 wins and an average attendance of 11,405 fans per game while advancing to the playoffs for the third straight time. The Swarm has increased its win total all four seasons in the NLL and owns a franchise mark of 32-32.

MSE announced on May 14 that a letter of intent was signed to sell the team to John J. Arlotta. The Minnesota Swarm will continue to play its home games at the Xcel Energy Center and MSE will also continue to support and provide certain business services. The Swarm will begin their fifth season in the NLL, as training camp will open in November 2008.

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



National Lacrosse League Stories from July 16, 2008


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central