UTICA, NY (WUTR/WFXV/WPNY) – World Lacrosse, the sport’s international governing body, announced on Tuesday, May 2 that the 2024 World Box Lacrosse Championships will be held at the Utica University Nexus Center next September.

Hosted by the Mohawk Valley Garden and Oneida County, the tournament will feature up to 30 men’s and ten women’s teams from around the world. It will be the first-ever international women’s box lacrosse tournament as well, while it is the sixth edition of the men’s tournament, held every four years since 2003.

“It is an incredible honor to host the World Lacrosse Box Championships in Utica. We are excited to showcase our facilities and all Utica has to offer,” Mohawk Valley Garden president Robert Esche said in a statement. “Hosting the men’s and women’s championships simultaneously will create an unprecedented atmosphere in the Adirondack Bank Center and the Utica University Nexus Center.”

This will be the first time the United States has hosted the tournament, and the second time it will be held in New York. The Onondaga Nation served as the host when the tournament was held in Syracuse in 2015.

While the Nexus Center will be hosting most of the games during the ten-day event, the Adirondack Bank Center will be hosting the opening night and gold medal games, as well as their own full slate of games.

Canada will be looking to defend their gold medal from 2019, when the host nation defeated the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. The United States placed third in the 2019 tournament. Players from the National Lacrosse League and Premier Lacrosse League – both of which host games in New York State – are also expected to play.

“The investments the county has made in the Adirondack Bank Center and the Utica University Nexus Center continue to draw premier events to our region,” Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente said in a statement. “We thank World Lacrosse for selecting us for this honor and we look forward to supporting our partners at Mohawk Valley Garden as we welcome thousands of fans from around the world to our community.”  

The tournament will run from Friday, September 13 to Sunday, September 22, 2024.