The National Lacrosse League will hold its 1999 Entry Draft on Tuesday, September 21, at Marine Midland Arena in Buffalo, beginning at 4:30 PM, but the major story is that a decision finally has been made over which team will select first.

As reported by the Outsider's Guide in July (see link in sidebar), the Rochester Knighthawks and as-yet-unnamed Albany expansion franchise each claimed the top draft selection belonged to them, and forced a vote of the Board of Governors earlier this month to settle the issue.

In an effort to help make expansion teams as competitive as possible, the NLL Board of Governors voted at the end-of-season meetings in May to, effective immediately, allow new clubs to select first in the Draft, followed by non-playoff teams, then those that did qualify for the postseason. As a result, the new Albany team will have the first pick in next month’s draft.

Rochester, in a losing cause, argued that because the Syracuse Smash (whose pick they own, as a result of the 1997 Paul Gait trade) finished in last place, and since the worst team in any league, in almost any given year, selects first, the pick was theirs.

The prize which Rochester and Albany fought so hard for is John Grant, Jr. of the University of Delaware. Grant was named this year's Division I Outstanding Player and Outstanding Attackman.

For the second year in a row, live updates from the draft will be provided over the course of the event by FAN TV, a personality driven in-depth sports program that allows the fans to be part of the show, carried every day Monday through Friday beginning at 4:30 PM on Empire Sports Network.

"Buffalo has been one of the top indoor lacrosse cities in North America for several years," said NLL Commissioner John Livsey. "The draft launches a brand new start to our season. We are thrilled to begin the millennium in Buffalo."

"The Buffalo Bandits and Marine Midland Arena are proud to be the hosts of the 1999 National Lacrosse League Draft, and are excited that the future stars of the NLL will begin their professional careers in Buffalo," said Ron Bertovich, Buffalo Sabres/Marine Midland Arena Executive Vice President/Administration. "Also, through our relationship with Empire Sports Network, we can showcase these talented athletes to millions of viewers -- both regionally and nationally."

The remainder of the first round selections (only) are currently as follows:

2. Rochester (from Syracuse)
3. Syracuse (from Buffalo)
4. New York
5. Philadelphia
6. Buffalo (from Rochester)
7. Philadelphia (from Baltimore)
8. Toronto

Marine Midland Arena is home to the Buffalo Bandits. The Draft will take place on the 100 level of the facility, in the Harbour Club. Rochester hosted the event last year, marking the first time the draft had been held on-site, replacing the conference call format. Last summer the National Hockey League held its draft at Marine Midland Arena.

The public is invited to attend the NLL Draft, with no admission charge. The draft will last nine rounds.

The Outsider's Guide and Albany Times-Union contributed to this article.