[Editor’s Note: Today, reader and contributor Jared Buccola — and very avid lax player/fan — is bringing us a breakdown of the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) for 2025, which began its new season this past weekend. This article was supposed to have run on Friday, but unfortunately technical difficulties moved it until today. Enjoy! — PH]
2025 Premier Lacrosse League Breakdown
by Jared Buccola
Hello and welcome back to another breakdown of the Premier Lacrosse League. In the league’s 7th season, we’re starting to see consistency in the brands for each team. Throughout the years, continuous rebrands have been prompted by multiple manufactures (Adidas/Champion) and last year’s geographical team assignments.
I would like to start with a league-wide change I noticed. The Champion maker’s mark looks to be removed from the shorts in favor of a team logo and/or player number, big improvement. Unfortunately, you will see a couple sponsorship patches, including Lexus, US Bank, Progressive and Rebel Bourbon.
The marketing photos that I pulled from various sites (mostly X, Instagram and the PLL Shop) are sparse this year. For example, I am EXTREMELY confident each team will have multiple helmets, but I am not seeing photos of multiple helmets for some teams.
On some players, you will see what is called a Q Collar, a medical device to reduce the risk of severity or traumatic brain injury through partial jugular vein compression. It presses lightly on the neck, increasing blood volume inside the skull and reduces brain “sloshing”. I first noticed it in lacrosse, but over the years, it’s found its way to into a myriad of sports.
With that being said, I will do my best to focus on more details on the uniforms, since there aren’t any complete rebrands since the 2024 season. So suit up and let’s get into it!
BOSTON CANNONS
The flagship of tradition, the Boston Cannons return with their straight forward kit. The sleeve stripes are exactly the same, but actually give a different look on the respective jerseys, as certain parts of the stripes get lost in the negative space. Although the uniform is unchanged, back by popular demand are the chrome blue helmets with cannon blast mohawk stripes, red facemask and a matte gray jawbone. Oh how a Red Sox’esque font would do wonders to these.
CALIFORNIA REDWOODS
The ‘Woods aren’t one to mix and match, it’s mono-green or mono-white, which is why I am so intrigued by the top left of this photo. You can see a white/green/green combo. Interested to see if this makes the field, or is just a lack of a green helmet on marketing day. The green kit bares (pun intended) a large front logo and vertical stripes a tree texture. The league must have read my article last year because they removed the gimmicky “Woods” nickname and replaced it with the team location. The tree border on the sleeves and collar are a call back to the 2024 Championship series uniform, which I hope become a staple element of the team’s look. Helmet options (so far) include white with the bear logo, green mask and mohawk stripes with a woodgrain touch.
CAROLINA CHAOS
Subtle changes make a huge difference here, specifically with the red uniform. Now, both jerseys have the location name and scorpion logo on the front. Still no front numbers but this is an improvement over last year’s shield logo. Details on the sleeves include gray/black checkerboard stripes, and their alternate logo on the shoulder. The only shoulder logo of the entire league! All topped off by a chrome red helmet and their “C” scorpion tail logo.
DENVER OUTLAWS
Less is more for the Denver Outlaws. Thankfully, gone are last year’s “barb” like stripes on the side panels of the jersey and shorts. In its place we see an asymmetric silver and orange stripe with a barbed wire touch. Both jersey layouts stay the same, with the team logo and small off centered numbers. Hey, any front numbers are better than no front numbers. These front numbers get a tip of the cap due to a nice paisley print on the inside. I’ve only seen a black helmet, but I’m sure they will have a gray/silver. The only difference in the helmet from last year looks to be the barbed wire accents is the same color as the stripe.
MARYLAND WHIPSNAKES
The Whips are firmly planting the Maryland flag as a part of their identity. Same as last year, we see the large Whipsnakes logo on the front of the black jersey, and the Maryland wordmark with front numbers on the white jersey. Both have a subtle Maryland flag design on the sleeves, new for the black jersey this year. Also new is the snakeskin pattern within the numbers on both jerseys. I found this photo which provides a good side by side of the two helmet manufacture/model options in the PLL. On the left is the Cascade XRS Pro and on the right is the Warrior Burn X. I’m a Cascade guy myself, because, I mean look at the back of the Burn, yikes. The Whips are one of the few team’s whose photos confirmed a second helmet, black or white.
NEW YORK ATLAS
Returning in 2025 is the double blue color scheme of the New York Atlas. Both uniforms have horn stripes on the sleeve, alternate logo on the collar and pin stripes that fade away as they go up the jersey. The blue uniform sports their primary logo and no front numbers. Not their best look. The white jersey has a much preferred location word mark and front numbers. Every iteration of the Atlas helmet has been chef’s kiss, so I am interested to see if they also wear white like last year or carry over the navy from the Championship series. Assuming it may become a permanent memorial patch, the “CR” carries over from last year in remembrance of Callum Robinson, former Atlas and Australia National Team player who tragically passed.
PHILADELPHIA WATERDOGS
Big Cat and the Barstool boys suit up in the familiar purple white and silver color scheme. The consistent layout on the home and away jersey includes the “Philly” wordmark, the dog logo below and the paw print/script logo on the sleeve. Similar to Boston, the purple portion of the sleeve stripe gets lost on the purple jersey. So although it’s the exact same stripe layout, it looks different on each jersey. The helmet sports a different dog logo on a white helmet with a purple chin. No marketing photos regarding a second helmet, but last year they had chrome purple helmets with “Dogs” in script.
UTAH ARCHERS
The defending back to back champions get their rings, and the biggest upgrade award from 2024 to 2025. They’ve dropped the oversized front logo and replaced it with front numbers, which I hope is a move all clubs make in the near future. Taking a cue from their 2025 Championship Series uniforms, the Archers added a zig-zag, “mountain” stripe on the sleeves and shorts. Also commemorating they’re championship, we see a gold maker’s mark. I’ve said it before and I will say it again, I love the “Utah” word mark with the state outline in the “A”. Utah will be sporting navy helmets, with the “Utah” wordmark on the side and the same zig-zag design across the back, as well as an orange version. Here’s another example of the Warrior Burn X and the Cascade XRS Pro.
ALTERNATE JERSEYS
During the season, the Premier Lacrosse League usually drops two, one-off uniform sets; Throwback Weekend 6/11-6/12 and Indigenous Heritage Weekend 6/18-6/19. Both weekends have provided some good, and some bad looks. I keep trying to get the league to add throwback logos on the helmets! The Indigenous Heritage jerseys had logos designed by Patrick Hunter, an Ojibwe artist in collaboration with the Anishinabe.
The 2025 Premier Lacrosse League season started this past Friday, with the hometown New York Atlas vs Carolina Chaos and California Redwoods vs Denver Outlaws. Coverage continued Saturday with the Maryland Whipsnakes vs Utah Archers and Boston Cannons vs New York Atlas. All games available on ESPN+. Thank you for reading this year’s breakdown, now let’s have a great season!
Thanks, Jared! You can see the full 2025 PLL schedule here.
As always, thanks for the lacrosse content!
No problem Andy, happy to provide!
Archers and Cannons are my favorites by far. Love New York’s white jersey as well.
“Hey, any front numbers are better than no front numbers.”
Amen to that! Thanks, Jared.
Hey Jim! I agree, any of the uniforms that have a team name or city name and front numbers is in an upper echelon compared to just front logos. Utah is one of my favorites, Boston would take a jump if they do something, anything with that font.
New York Blue Bull?!
Haha I never noticed that, a play off the Red Bulls!
Love the Liberty Bell look of the Waterdogs logo.
I enjoyed some of the looks for the “throwback” weekend last year. Looking forward to seasons and decades down the road when the PLL throwback weekend will be actual throwbacks.
Hey Wade, I agree. Although there was not as much for me to cover this year, I appreciate that we’re seeing consistent identities and themes being established for the teams. I hope the two teams with MLL history, Cannons and Outlaws, tap into those designs for their “throwbacks”
Love the lax content – keep it up!
Maybe someone will correct me… but I feel like lacrosse offers the most possible uniform variations of any sport. Primarily because of the many pieces of the helmet – from all the different places you can put stripes (top of helmet) and logos (side of helmet, back) – but then also the cage color, the chin strap, the shell color, the bumper colors, visor etc. Just an insane amount of customizable options.
Not to mention the usual contrasting shorts, socks, equipment like gloves, and then stick customizations too.
Just a small part of why lacrosse is great. Looking forward to PLL throwback weekend. Always the best!
Hey Steve, couldn’t agree more. There is definitely a lot of customization options when it comes to the complete lacrosse uniform. Helmet, jersey, shorts, arm guards, gloves can all change the look. I kind of touched on that with the different helmets (Cascade vs Warrior), and the different protective equipment (Warrior, Maverick, STX) can completely change the look also. Now THAT would be a deep dive
thank you for the content. always liked the feel and look of champion
I hope the Texans are taking notes from the Atlas about which way the horns on the sleeves should face.
This looks class here echoing the logo and brings the jersey to life. Not trying to impale their own face…
I would really like if the whipsnakes just adopted that indigenous logo full-time, something about the shape of their logo keeps throwing me off. I’d like to see them update the logo.