Major League Lacrosse Names David Gross First Commissioner
Published on July 21, 2004 under Major League Lacrosse (MLL) News Release
Boston, MA (July 21, 2004) â Major League Lacrosse (MLL), the premiere professional outdoor lacrosse league, announced today that David Gross, the league's Chief Operating Officer, has been elevated to the position of Commissioner, according to MLL Founder Jake Steinfeld, CEO of Body By Jake Global L.L.C. The promotion is effective immediately.
"I'm very excited to name David the first commissioner of Major League Lacrosse," said Steinfeld. "The entire organization has operated so smoothly under his direction. We've seen gains in sponsorship, attendance and television since he became COO.
"This move ensures the continued growth and evolution of Major League Lacrosse."
"It's an absolute honor to be named the first commissioner of such a fabulous league," said Gross. "I look forward to being part of the continued growth of Major League Lacrosse, working with our partners, teams, players and fans to make sure that this is a league we will all be very proud of."
Gross joined the MLL office in December 2003 after three successful seasons as Vice President and General Manager of the Boston Cannons. In his first season as COO, he has seen attendance increase leaguewide by more than 47%, to more than 4,250 per game. Gross also oversaw the MLL's Wild West Tour, in which the league partnered with the NFL's Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos to host a pair of regular season games in their facilities. The Wild West Tour opened on May 22, when the Baltimore Bayhawks took on the Rochester Rattlers at Seahawks Stadium in Seattle, Wash. On June 5, the Bayhawks faced the New Jersey Pride at INVESCO Field at Mile High in Denver, Colo., for the Wild West Tour's second installment. Both games aired nationally as part of Major League Lacrosse's 12-game "Game of the Week" agreement with ESPN2.
The Wild West Tour is the first stage of Major League Lacrosse's West Coast expansion initiative. The MLL plans to add a four-team West Division by 2006, then expand with an additional two teams by 2008. Next season, the Wild West Tour is expected to expand to four western locations.
In the eight months since his arrival, Gross has also seen the MLL add Under Armour and Tommy Hilfiger as sponsors and strengthened relationships with nationally-recognized partners like Bud Light, New Balance and Warrior.
Prior to joining the MLL office, Gross sculpted the Cannons into one of the league's most successful teams. As VP and GM, he directed all aspects of Boston's operations, including administration, ticket sales and marketing, and player personnel decisions. The Cannons led the league in paid attendance all three seasons, with average annual attendance growth of more than 12%.
A veteran of the Lincoln-Sudbury High School lacrosse team (Sudbury, Mass.), Gross spent his college years as a four-year starter at Connecticut College. He was a team captain his senior year and earned All-New England honors in 1988. After graduation, he spent 10 years playing for the MassLax club lacrosse team. Returning to his lacrosse roots, he founded the Sudbury Youth Lacrosse Program, and served as its President from 1992 to 2001.
Major League Lacrosse, a six-team professional outdoor lacrosse league, was founded in 1999 by fitness entrepreneur Jake Steinfeld, CEO of Body by Jake Global L.L.C., and partners Dave Morrow, a former champion lacrosse player and now CEO of Warrior Lacrosse, a leading global provider of innovative and high performance lacrosse equipment; and Timothy B. Robertson, former CEO of The Family Channel and the current chairman of Bay Shore Enterprises, L.L.C., an investment holding company with activities in international media and Internet technology ventures. The MLL commenced play in June of 2001 and enters this season with teams in Baltimore, Boston, Long Island, (Montclair) New Jersey, Philadelphia and Rochester. The 2004 MLL season began on Saturday, May 22 and concludes with the New Balance Major League Lacrosse Championship Weekend, Friday, August 20 and Sunday, August 22. Additional league information can be found at www.majorleaguelacrosse.com.
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