By Allison Watkinson
TLL Reporter
Nike has reached a multi-year agreement with the Premier Lacrosse League and the Women’s Lacrosse League, making the global sportswear company the official apparel partner of both professional lacrosse organizations beginning with the 2026 season.
The deal marks the first time either league has partnered with Nike as an official apparel provider. Under the agreement, Nike will design and produce on-field uniforms, sideline apparel, and select fan merchandise collections for PLL and WLL teams. Redesigned team jerseys emphasizing performance engineering are expected to be unveiled ahead of the 2026 PLL season.
The partnership signals a significant expansion of Nike’s licensed apparel footprint into professional lacrosse — a sport that has seen accelerating growth in North America — while providing both leagues with the cachet and retail distribution infrastructure of the world’s most recognized sportswear brand.
Paul Rabil, co-founder and president of both leagues, connected the deal to the broader cultural arc of the sport.
“I think Nike has defined how sport is told for generations. As a kid, those stories made me believe I could chase my greatest potential. And they pushed me to believe in what lacrosse could become,” Rabil said. “Now we get to help tell the next chapter together. Seeing the best players in the world step onto the field this season wearing uniforms we’ve built with Nike will be inspiring, to say the least.”
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Todd Jacobs, general manager of Nike Field Sports, said the sport’s momentum was central to the company’s interest in a long-term collaboration.
“This partnership between Nike, the PLL and the WLL reflects the momentum we’re seeing in one of the most dynamic sports in North America,” Jacobs said. “We’re proud to support lacrosse’s continued evolution, growth, and visibility with the PLL and the WLL.”
The PLL, co-founded by Paul Rabil and his brother Mike Rabil, is backed by investors including Joe Tsai Sports, The Kraft Group, and Creative Artists Agency, among others, and distributes its content through ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN+. The WLL, launched in November 2024, comprises four teams and represents what the PLL describes as its largest investment in women’s lacrosse to date. The PLL fields eight teams.
The licensing arrangement positions both leagues alongside major professional sports organizations that have long-standing Nike uniform deals, potentially raising the profile of lacrosse in retail and licensed merchandise markets. Additional details on uniform designs are expected to be released before the season opens.