NLL.com - The Official Home of the National Lacrosse League

JIM JENNINGS RESIGNS AS COMMISSIONER

Daniel appointed Interim Commissioner

01/10/2009

The National Lacrosse League announced today that it has named Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer George Daniel as Interim Commissioner, replacing Jim Jennings, Commissioner since 2000, who resigned effective January 10.

During Jennings tenure, the league enjoyed a period of unprecedented growth, including expansion to western markets, an increase in franchise values from $250,000 to $5.6 million and the broadcast of the NLL All-Star and Championship games on network television. Today lacrosse is one of North America's fastest growing sports.

"I have enjoyed the last eight years," said Jennings. "I feel that I have accomplished all the goals I set out to do at the NLL. I want to spend some time with my family before pursuing other opportunities and taking on the next challenge."

Daniel has served as Deputy Commissioner for seven of the past eight NLL seasons, leaving the league office for the 2007 season to serve as President of the New York Titans. The league has set no timetable on hiring a permanent replacement.

The Board of Governors of the National Lacrosse League said in a statement: "We thank Jim for his contributions to building the league and establishing a solid foundation for the next phase of growth and development of our sport. At the same time, we are delighted that George will build on our momentum and confident that he will oversee a successful and exciting 2009 season. We will be working with him to continue to evolve our business model to meet the needs of sponsors while also delivering the most exciting overall product for our growing numbers of fans."

Said Daniel: "2009 promises to be a great season, with competitive teams, innovative packages for our sponsors, strong advance ticket sales and an ever-improving fan experience. There's nothing like professional indoor lacrosse and I look forward to helping to introduce the sport to thousands of new fans this season."