The Haudenosaunee Nationals say they are in ongoing contact with the International Olympic Committee about possibly competing in lacrosse at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
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The Haudenosaunee Nationals say they are “cautiously optimistic” about their teams playing lacrosse at the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Games, with executive director Leo Nolan saying the organization is in “pretty constant contact” with the International Olympic Committee.
Nolan said the Haudenosaunee have been speaking with the IOC for years about what is needed for the Haudenosaunee to compete as its own entity, adding: “We certainly have provided a lot of information to the IOC.”
He said the IOC has not given a timetable for a decision and that the organization is waiting for the IOC “to review all the documents,” saying: “If there’s more that they need to make our case better known to them, we’ll be all in.”
The Haudenosaunee are an Indigenous people who live in Ontario, Quebec and New York, and Nolan said their organization is seeking Olympic participation tied to lacrosse’s Indigenous origins.
According to Nolan, the Haudenosaunee Nationals have competed separately from Canada and the United States in international lacrosse competitions for decades, a path he said is tied to the Haudenosaunee’s role as creators of the sport.
Nolan said participation would be in the Olympic lacrosse “sixes” discipline, a format created for the Olympics that combines indoor and field lacrosse into one outdoor version of the game.
He noted the men’s team is fifth in the world sixes ranking while the women’s team is unranked, and said the Nationals are focused on ensuring players are ready for the different style of play as the IOC reviews their case.
Nolan described the sixes game as “a different type of game,” adding: “It’s still a ball and stick but at the same time, it’s a different type of game, so you have to really practise this kind of thing.”
The IOC’s recognition of separate teams can vary from strict country representation, Nolan said, pointing to examples such as Puerto Rico’s Olympic participation since 1948 and noting the IOC currently recognizes 206 national Olympic committees.
Looking ahead to the qualification process for lacrosse’s return, the World Lacrosse Sixes Championships in Colorado Springs, Colo., in October 2027 are set to serve as the primary qualifier for the sport’s return to the Olympics.
The U.S. is described as automatically qualifying as the host nation if its men’s and women’s teams participate in the world championships, while four men’s and four women’s teams from other countries will also earn Olympic berths at the worlds.
The final remaining Olympic slot for each gender will be determined in early 2028 at a final qualifying tournament that will feature the top six men’s and women’s teams not already qualified based on world rankings.
Nolan also pointed to early Olympic history for lacrosse, saying men’s lacrosse was contested at the 1904 and 1908 Olympics, when Canada won gold both times and a team comprised entirely of Haudenosaunee athletes playing under the Canadian flag took bronze in 1904.
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