PLL Chicago 2026: Complete Fan Guide

The Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) returned to Chicago for Week 8 of the 2026 season, July 10-11, at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium in Evanston. All 8 PLL teams competed across two days of traditional 10v10 field lacrosse, plus Fan Fest experiences and family activities on the shore of Lake Michigan. The weekend is complete. All four games are in the books, with major statement wins from the Utah Archers (16-5 over NYA) and Maryland Whipsnakes (17-10 over Carolina), plus the Boston Cannons' upset of the #1 Denver Outlaws. See the full W8 results recap → Coming off All-Star Weekend in Annapolis (July 4-5), the rosters were loaded with momentum and freshly crowned All-Stars. See what happened at the 2026 All-Star Game → NOTABLE — THE WHIRLPOOL RIVER GAME CONCEPT: In 2025, the PLL and Whirlpool brand made history with the sport's first-ever lacrosse game played on a river on July 10, 2025, ahead of that year's Chicago weekend. The activation featured a custom Chicago River Boat retrofitted with a turf lacrosse field that traveled the Chicago River between Lake Street and Michigan Avenue. PLL and WLL athletes played a 3-on-3 exhibition for nearly three hours, with Sydni Black (Maryland Charm) and New York Atlas assistant coach Steven Brooks among the participants. It was the first PLL Chicago weekend since 2019, and the river game extended the league's pre-LA28 push to bring lacrosse to non-traditional venues and crowds in major U.S. markets. Read the Chicago Sun-Times recap →

All four PLL games from the Chicago weekend are complete. Here is the full recap with final scores, key storylines, and the updated conference standings. Friday, July 10 (Session 1): Philadelphia Waterdogs 15, California Redwoods 13 — CJ Kirst scored 6 goals as the Waterdogs took first place in the East. Utah Archers 16, New York Atlas 5 — the Archers rolled behind Fields (4G) and a dominant offense; an emphatic statement after their 2-4 start. Saturday, July 11 (Session 2): Boston Cannons 15, Denver Outlaws 13 — Coulter Mackesy dropped 5 points to lead Boston to the upset over ESPN's #1 Outlaws. Saturday, July 11 (Session 3): Maryland Whipsnakes 17, Carolina Chaos 10 — the Whipsnakes snapped a 3-game skid in the ESPN+ nightcap. Updated Records: Philadelphia Waterdogs 4-2 (lead East), California Redwoods 4-3 (lead West), Maryland Whipsnakes 4-3, Utah Archers 4-4, Denver Outlaws 3-4, New York Atlas 3-4, Boston Cannons 3-4, Carolina Chaos 3-4. Conference Standings: Eastern: Philadelphia Waterdogs 4-2; Maryland Whipsnakes 4-3; New York Atlas 3-4; Boston Cannons 3-4. Western: California Redwoods 4-3; Utah Archers 4-4; Denver Outlaws 3-4; Carolina Chaos 3-4. Prediction Tracker: W8 graded 0/5 (worst week of the season) — the league's parity and the underdog trend caught us off-guard. Detailed breakdown in the Pro Lacrosse guide.

The week before Chicago, the PLL and WLL brought their biggest stars to Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland for a Fourth of July celebration of lacrosse. The 2026 All-Star Weekend featured skills competitions, the PLL All-Star Game, and the WLL All-Star Game — all on July 4-5. Final scores: PLL All-Star Game: West 12, East 9 — Brett Dobson (Utah Archers) named MVP after 11 second-half saves. Liam Entenmann (NYA) recorded 13 first-half saves. WLL All-Star Game: Team Izzy 16, Team Humphrey 15 — Marie McCool (NYA Charging) named MVP after her game-winning twizzler with 45 seconds left. Watch on ESPN and ESPN+.

Week 8 Chicago is complete. All four games were played July 10-11. The PLL now moves on to Week 9 in Fairfield, CT (July 17-19). Final W8 results are below — the full recap is in the section above.

Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium is a lakeside venue on Northwestern University's campus in Evanston, IL. Located right on the shore of Lake Michigan, it offers stunning views and an intimate atmosphere that players and coaches have called one of the best on the PLL tour. The stadium was expanded for football and hosted its first PLL weekend in July 2025; the 2026 W8 weekend was the second year running. The PLL plans to sell individual team franchises by 2028 or soon after (per CNBC, July 2, 2026), which would likely require moving away from the current touring model to permanent home venues. For now, Martin Stadium remains one of the PLL's most beloved stops.

Address: 2235 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208

Official venue info: premierlacrosseleague.com/chicago

All 8 PLL teams competed at W8 Chicago. Below are their post-W8 records and the key storylines from the weekend.

The 2026 Chicago weekend has concluded. For W9 in Fairfield, CT (July 17-19) and other upcoming weekends, tickets are available at premierlacrosseleague.com/tickets.

PLL Chicago tips — for those who attended the 2026 weekend, or are planning ahead for a future Chicago stop.

You came for lacrosse -- stay for the food. Evanston and the North Shore have some of Chicago's best eats, and the venue is close to excellent hotels. All restaurant and hotel listings below are within 15 minutes of Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium.