"We've been working with the league for about 18 months now, trying to get something done,” Cornett said. "We feel that once the sport gets introduced, it will do really well here.”
NLL commissioner Jim Jennings agrees. Jennings said the NLL does its best business in markets that don't showcase lacrosse, most notably in Denver.
"Through our research, we've found that around 80 percent of our fans are non-lacrosse people,” Jennings said.
Home games would be at the Ford Center. Jennings said he had no worries about finding dates with the arena because he's gone through the same circumstances elsewhere.
The best thing about lacrosse, said Jennings, is that it only takes about 45 minutes to turn a lacrosse field into a hockey rink or vice versa.
The biggest obstacle for both sides is finding the right ownership group. Jennings said he's seen a couple of potential groups but is still working on the details.
The NLL will begin its 23rd season next year and features 13 teams in the United States and Canada. Jennings said he would like Oklahoma City to be the league's first venture into the Southwest. After Oklahoma City, Jennings said Dallas, Houston and Salt Lake City are among other cities where he would like to see expansion franchises.
"This is where we want to start,” Jennings said. "The support in Oklahoma City is great. Fans have a great passion for their sports. We feel we would fit right in.”
Cornett said there are two reasons he's interested.
"Part of the appeal is this is the top lacrosse league in the nation,” Cornett said. "The quality of play is outstanding.
"They bring a different business model than most. They introduce the sport at an amateur level, and they do a lot of the work.”
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