Will Philadelphia become a Premier Lacrosse League home city? We’ll know soon.

Could the next Philadelphia pro sports team come in lacrosse?

The Premier Lacrosse League announced Thursday that the league will shift from a fully tour-based model to geographically based teams in eight cities starting in 2024.

″Moving our eight teams into home cities will mark the biggest investment in the league since its inception,” said Paul Rabil, cofounder and president of the PLL, in the release. “This move will unlock deeper, more connected relationships between our fans, teams, and players. Continuing to build a global presence around lacrosse and driving our mission forward will remain core to our approach. We’re giving the PLL local love and global awareness.”

The PLL, cofounded by Rabil and his brother Mike in 2018 to rival the established Major League Lacrosse, will open its fifth season June 3.

For the second straight season, the league’s championship will be held at Subaru Park in Chester (Sept. 24). The PLL and MLL merged into one league in 2020.

Given Philadelphia’s prominent position in the league’s current plans, and the popularity of the sport at both the high school and college levels in the region, the city would seem like a strong contender to land one of the eight teams. Philadelphia is also hosting the final four of the NCAA Division I men’s lacrosse championships this weekend at Lincoln Financial Field, furthering the city’s credentials as a leading location for the sport.

”When we looked at our growth over the last five years, matched by our goals, objectives, and expansion, tying our teams to home cities was a natural next step for the business,” Mike Rabil said. “From our major media rights deal with ESPN, to the growing population of 45 million lacrosse fans across the U.S., the future of our sport is bright. Our teams’ presence in home cities will fuel our league’s future growth by tapping into the most universally understood driver of fan engagement.”

The PLL will continue to own and operate the league’s eight teams, whose locations will be announced later this year. The league is evaluating cities, states, and regions for home teams, while fans will also have the opportunity to vote for locations at pllvote.com and through the PLL app. The PLL will select the final eight locations based on a combination of industry analysis, available venues, professional partnerships, ticket sales, and fan engagement.

The league will continue its 10-week regular-season schedule next season, with eight of the weekends happening at the new home locations and two being held at neutral locations. The All-Star Game and playoff rounds will be played at locations to be determined.