By Nathan Max
WSL Executive Editor

If Facebook is any indication, the LXM PRO tour already has a lot of buzz.

With six days to go before LXM 949 kicks off at the Santa Ana Municipal Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 21, the circuit has already amassed more than 5,200 fans on the popular social networking Web site. Now, the question is will those fans will be willing to pay $25 at the gate?

LXM President Scott Hochstadt is hoping they will, and he’s hoping to completely change the way lacrosse is presented at the professional level.

“Before the X Games, Shaun White and Tony Hawk were skating in parking lots and winning a couple hundred dollars,” Hochstadt said. “The X Games then came along and made them mainstream athletes. That’s what we’re looking to do for our players.”

Investing in professional lacrosse has always been a risky move. Although the National Lacrosse League -- the United States’ and Canada’s pro indoor circuit -- has been around since the 1980s, numerous franchises have folded or relocated. Major League Lacrosse, the outdoor pro circuit, contracted last year from 10 franchises to six and rarely draws crowds of more than 10,000 fans.

But LXM will be different from those leagues, Hochstadt said. LXM intends to combine an X-Games atmosphere for the sport, focusing all the attention around the individual players and musical acts, with a Lollapalooza approach of traveling from town to town.

The short-term goal, he said, isn’t to make money. It’s to get professional lacrosse players more exposure.

“Everybody’s losing a ton of money on this event,” Hochstadt conceded. “We want to create a platform for professional lacrosse players to showcase themselves and become a more mainstream athlete.”

To that end, LXM has added the bells and whistles of combining lacrosse with a three-hour concert to get music fans involved. The hope is they’ll show up a little early, see the lacrosse and be converted. For LXM 949, Hochstadt promised that there will also be several celebrities in attendance, including Paula Abdul and cast members from Melrose Place, 90210 and The Hills.

LXM already had its first setback on the concert front when featured act Akon had to pull out at the last second to attend his uncle's funeral. However, organizers quickly signed 3OH!3 and Drake as replacements. The Cab, Qwes and Sam Adams will also be performing.

The Orange County event is just the beginning. Although no dates have been set, Hochstadt said his investors plan to bring the LXM road show to Columbus, Austin, Miami, Portland, St. Louis, San Diego and Salt Lake City in the next 12 months.

“There are not enough lacrosse fans to sustain a professional franchise in a lot of markets,” Hochstadt said. “We’re going into markets where there is no pro team and no Division I lacrosse, where the sport is booming at the youth level. When you bring some of the best players in the world into that kind of market, and you come once a year, it becomes a must-see event.”

LXM 949 SCHEDULE
9 a.m.: Casting Call
Athletic actors are encouraged to audition for roles in future Hollywood productions, including upcoming lacrosse-based feature film “Crooked Arrows”

1 p.m.: Pre-Game Clinics
Kyle Harrison and Team STX conduct a special clinic

2 p.m.: MCLA Division I College Lacrosse
MCLA Division I national finalist Chapman University faces UC Santa Barbara in a fall ball match-up

5 p.m.: LXM Professional Showcase Game
Full length all-star game features 40 of the world’s top players

7 p.m.: Live Concert
Performances by 3OH!3, Drake, The Cab, Qwes and Sam Adams