Six months ago, Major League Lacrosse announced its expansion with two new lacrosse teams based in Charlotte and Columbus for the 2012 season. After three months of voting in a team-naming contest, officials announced this week that the "Hounds" beat out the "Legion" and "Monarchs" and will join the Panthers and Bobcats as the newest pro team in Charlotte.

As for Columbus, that's a bit more complicated. The new franchise will carry the name "Machine," a moniker late of the Chicago Machine. The Chi-town squad moved this season to Rochester, revitalizing the Rochester Rattlers franchise, which had moved to Toronto in 2009. This season, meanwhile, Toronto is playing all of its games in Hamilton, Canada, taking the name, the Hamilton Nationals. Got all that?

 

Despite all the upheaval, the league plans to add two more teams for the 2013 season, with a long-term goal of a 16-team league by 2019. With the MLL eyeing further expansion for the coming years, here are six cities that have either been in the MLL mix before or deserve some consideration as future prospects.

 

Miami

Lacrosse is rapidly growing across the country, but particularly down South, with more and more high school teams being added each season in the state of Florida. The University of Florida recently added a D-I ladies lax program and already managed a top-10 finish in the NCAA this past season. Miami itself also holds very Bro qualities with the beach and club scenes, which fit the lacrosse mold perfectly. Even though Miami Heat fans don't have the strongest reputations, even in an NBA Championship series, I think cities with well-established pro teams in other leagues would be great for the sport, as lacrosse teams could build off of their success and residual publicity.

 

Los Angeles/Orange County

True, the MLL has already had a team here. But as lacrosse continues to explode on the West Coast — and with the LXM Pro showcase-style league experimenting in Cali and finding success — this is a spot that deserves another crack at a pro lax team. In addition, imagine a guy like Paul Rabil, the face of the sport, hanging out with celebs and chilling with Kobe and Beckham. I also list the O.C. as a possible locale as it's right outside of L.A., and the affluence of this community suits lacrosse in the same way that the sport agrees with New England.

 

Nashville

While both the Predators and the Titans have been fairly consistent teams for the city of Nashville, I picked this Southern city for a different set of reasons. MLL games are great Saturday-night events, where the tickets aren’t very expensive and a bunch of Bros (and even girls) can get seats up close, throw back some beers, and make a night of it. Nashville itself is a fun place, the bar and music scene is awesome, and the chicks are smokeshows. While lacrosse isn’t the most popular sport in Tennessee, I think the city of Nashville would do well with a pro team.

 

Seattle

You've heard of the Mariners and Seahawks, but you might not know that Seattle is home to the Stealth, a member of the indoor National Lacrosse League. This organization is only two years old and has already made two championship appearances, winning in 2010. Seattle is somewhat similar to the market of L.A. in that they’re both have the West Coast mentality, but this spot is also just an outlet pass from Canada, a nation that happens to not just bleed hockey but also lacrosse. While Seattle is plagued by a long rainy season instead of abundant sun and high temps, the notorious Northwest weather hasn't dampened the rise of nearby MLS team Portland Timber and their rabid fanbase, and has considerable potential for a sport that is constantly migrating out West.

 

Salt Lake City

This may seem like an odd choice, but I feel like this spot could easily build off the success of Denver, which has not only flourished with the Outlaws but also the University of Denver, where legendary coach Bill Tierney just brought his squad to the Final Four. It's safe to say the mountain region of the U.S. is now officially embracing the sport. Even though they're still skiing in Little and Big Cottonwood canyons this year, during the summer Salt Lake City, just like Denver, is great for outdoor events, and lacrosse could potentially be a great new professional option in Utah. While the state does not have any D-I lax teams at the moment, BYU has found some great recent success, winning the 2011 MCLA National Championship.

 

Dallas

Yes, Texas breeds football players, and right now D-Town is riding high off the Mavs' NBA Championship. But lacrosse happens to be very popular these days in Texas, with many high schools teams sending off players to play at major college programs. Similar to Nashville, Dallas also has a great downtown scene and happens to not only churn out linebackers but hot chicks as well — and what lacrosse team is complete without some laxtitutes floating around?