The Bayhawks, Baltimore?s Major League Lacrosse franchise and one of the founding teams of the six-year league,have decided to relocate to Washington, D.C., for the 2007 season, according to a source close to the team who asked not to be identified.
The formal announcement is expected to come at a press conference on Nov. 14, after the team works out negotiations for its yet-to-be-announced home field.
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The move comes after the Bayhawks, MLL champions in 2002 and 2005, finished last season at 4-8, the worst record in franchise history.
“Everybody knew it was coming,” said the source, who pointed to a large drop in attendance between 2005 and 2006 as a major factor in the decision.
The Bayhawks were already looking for a new home for 2007 because of rent problems and the inability to share parking and concessions at Towson University. The MLL registered the domain names “dcbayhawks.com” and “washingtonbayhawks.com” on Sept. 21, and on Monday, league commissioner David Gross confirmed that the team would be relocating.
“You never like to have to move a team out of any market,” Gross said. “But we agree with the reasons that the Bayhawks? ownership has presented.”
Gross said that it is especially tough to see a team leave Baltimore, long considered the cradle of lacrosse. The MLL, Gross said, would like to put a team back in Baltimore, but he does not foresee it happening in the near future.
The decision to leave Baltimore comes less than a year after an ownership group led by businessman Jeffrey Harvey and head coach Scott Hiller purchased the team. Reached on Monday, Hiller would not confirm the relocation, saying nothing was official at this point. He did say, though, that the team has been looking for ways to expand its market.
“We are trying to get more people a chance to see lacrosse in the Maryland and Virginia area, and we want to tap into the Northern Virginia market,” Hiller said.
FLYING THE COOP
» In six home games in 2006,the Bayhawks? average attendance was 2,973, ranked eighth in the league. In 2005, the team averaged 4,802 per game.
» The Bayhawks are the second professional lacrosse team to leave Baltimore since 1999, joining the Baltimore Thunder of the indoor National Lacrosse League.
» The Bayhawks will be the second team in MLL history to relocate. The Philadelphia Barrage moved from Bridgeport, Conn., in 2004.
