“There’s a big upside for lacrosse,” says Randy Freer, president of News Corp.’s Fox Sports Networks, which show college lacrosse.
Forty-three percent of lacrosse players come from households with annual incomes of more than $100,000, tops among team sports, according to the industry association survey. Youth lacrosse, 15 and under, had 361,275 players in 2011, up 11.3 percent from the previous year and the fastest-growing segment, according to USA Lacrosse, the sport’s national federation.
Lacrosse is expanding from its traditional Mid-Atlantic and New York roots. According to the SFIA survey, there are just as many players in the New England and South Atlantic regions, with participation up in California, Oregon and Washington.
Keep Rising
“As the game gets bigger, Paul’s the guy who’s going to continue to rise with it,” said Sol Kumin, chief operating officer at SAC Capital who is a former Hopkins lacrosse player and Rabil’s friend.
His future as a pitchman is directly tied to the sport’s growth on television, said David Gross, commissioner of Major League Lacrosse, an eight-team outdoor league where Rabil -- a member of the Boston Cannons -- is a two-time Most Valuable Player.
Gross in 2007 negotiated a 10-year contract with ESPN, which this year will show 25 games on its networks. The CBS Sports Network will show 20.
Producers for the ABC show “The Bachelor,” which featured former National Football League quarterback Jesse Palmer, have inquired about using Major League Lacrosse players. Palmer parlayed his reality TV fame into a college football analyst job at ESPN, like ABC a unit of Walt Disney Co.
Phelps Neighbor
Rabil, who lives in Canton, Maryland, a block from Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, is far from the highest American endorsement earners. Golfer Tiger Woods reaped about $54 million last year, according to Sports Illustrated. LeBron James of the Miami Heat received $33 million, while quarterback Tom Brady of the New England Patriots took home $10 million.