The National Lacrosse League's board of governors voted unanimously on Wednesday to award an expansion franchise to Edmonton for the 2002-2003 season.

That's the word from NLL commissioner Jim Jennings, as reported in today's Edmonton Sun.

There's one condition on the unanimous approval -- an ownership group must be found, and aiming for that, officials from Edmonton's major indoor arena met today with Calgary businessman R. Bruce Stewart and his associates.

"It's just a matter of putting the ducks in a row and seeing if the ownership group wants to get things done," Northlands Park sales manager Duane Vienneau said.

Northlands Park manages the Skyreach Centre, home of the National Hockey League's Edmonton Oilers and where an NLL franchise in the City of Champions would play.

The Oilers will provide sales and marketing assistance for the NLL team, according to the Sun.

"The league has pre-approved Bruce Stewart, so I'm pretty confident," Vienneau added. "We'll also talk about an arrangement for [Skyreach] and see what we can do to help them out there."

Stewart has about two weeks to finalize his group's membership, complete all the requisite applications and reach a lease agreement with Northlands Park. For the second straight year, the NLL established a 1 June deadline for expansion and relocation for the coming season.

"If they can get their group together, we will put a team there for next season," Jennings said. "I've been assured by Duane that they have their group together and that they have their money together.

"They said they could get it done in two weeks and I'm just going on what they represented to me. I told them they have the green light from the board of governors and if they can do it let's see if we can get it done."

Observant NLL fans will recognize Stewart as a repeat bidder, leaving Brad Banister's group shortly before it was awarded a expansion franchise in March 2001 and failing in several separate attempts to purchase the Washington Power and relocate it to Edmonton this past winter.

As for the troubled Power, the team's move to Denver now appears imminent. Sam Kroenke, owner of the NHL's Colorado Avalanche, National Basketball Association's Denver Nuggets and the Pepsi Centre (home of both teams), has reached an agreement to purchase the Power from Steve Comiskey for $1.5 million (US), according to league sources.