Seneca Nation gets Rochester Knighthawks for Lacrosse franchise

 

Seneca Nation, a federally recognized Indian tribe based in Western New York, was acquired by Rochester Knighthawks, the national franchise Lacrosse League. Seneca Bough franchise from the Pegula family, which announced in June that the team team would sell after its ownership since 2019.

It is assumed that the Seneca nation is only the second Indian tribe, which owned a professional sports franchise directly and joined the Mohegan tribe, its own Connecticut sun WNBA since 2003. Hartford Power reports on Monday that another investment group offered more than $ 300 million and moved franchise to Hartford in Conn. The Mohegan tribe also owned a stake in New England Black Wolves of Nll before selling franchise in 2021.

The conditions of the Rochester Agreement were not published, but Commissioner NLL Brett Food said: “From the league point of view, we are pleased by the trajectory of the business value of our members.” NLL consists of 14 franchises (eight in the US and six in Canada) playing the so-called box lacrosse, indo-versions of sport that has different rules than the outdoor version.

The Seneca nation bought a professional franchise through Seneca Holdings, LLC, a subsidiary founded in 2009, which invested in a non -competent business. The large business of Seneca Holdings focuses on closing the federal government. Recently, CI Azumano has also received a travel agency and operates Seneca Environmental, a project company for renewable energy sources.

Seneca Nation also owns Seneca Alley Resort & Casino in Salamanca, NY, Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino in Niagara Falls, NY and Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino in Buffal

J. Conrad Seneca, President Seneca Nation, said in an interview that Knighthawks are the first sports investment of the tribe. He added, however, that the nation has deep roots in the lacrosse and has many leagues for more than 8,600 registered members, rowing from youth organizations after the competition for older adults. Seneca Nation continued to play at university, including Zed Williams, Star Train University of Virginia, which now plays in Colorado Mammoth.

“This is a new journey for our Holdings team,” Seneca said. “They did a great job with the views to check it, do our duE diligence, cooperated with our business Coucil, and were preparing for negotiations with all participants. I think it’s a great opportunity.”

Seneca said Knighthawks would retain its name, uniforms, colors and other stamps for this season, which starts at the end of November and runs on weekends to April, followed by the play -offs that last until May.

While Seneca said that “we will decide what changes we can make after the season, he stressed that the team would remain in Rochester. The Seneca nation is about 100 miles southwest of Rochester.

The original Knighthawks played in Rochester before moving to Halifax in New Scotland in 2019. This year Pegula acquired the team’s intellectual property and again launched the team in Rochester.

Terry Pegula, which, according to Forbes, has a net fortune of $ 7.6 billion, and his family will continue to own Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Saber, as well as Rochester Americans Baseball Franchise Smaller League and Buffalo Bandits of Nll.

“The league worked closely with the Pegula management team on the ideal goal to take over the ownership of this franchise,” Froda said. “It turned out that Seneca Nation, with countless countless synergies, has quickly become a priority interview for us. We spent the last few months an educational relationship, browsing the potential of partnership, and eventually agree to be a female Rochester community.”

J. Conrad Seneca, who once owned a share in the semi-pro-indeed lacrosse team, said it was important for him and the Seneca nation to obtain franchise partly to maintain franchise in Rochester. He remembers the NBA Buffalo Braves leaving the city in 1978 and moved to San Diego, where he became known as San Diego Clippers.

“It was hard to understand,” he said. “It was hard to accept that our team was gone. I know it is a feeling, and I think this opportunity that introduced the Nation Seneca and our commitment to the play of lacrosse, we have to bring a lot to the table … and build our relationships in Rochester.”