National Lacrosse League commissioner Jim Jennings has signed a three-year contract extension, the league announced yesterday.

Jennings will now remain with the NLL through the 2009 season.

"I am honored to be given the opportunity by our Board of Governors to continue to serve," Jennings said. "I am excited for the future as we continue to grow our league and the sport of lacrosse as a whole."

When Jennings replaced Jon Livsey in September 2000, the NLL was a nine-team circuit based in the northeastern United States and eastern Canada.

Within a year, Jennings had the league up to thirteen franchises, including two in western Canada, although the subsequent losses of weaker franchises brought league membership down as low as ten teams in 2004.

Jennings' third three-year tour begins with the NLL back at thirteen franchises after expansion to Chicago and New York City, and the commish is proudly touting a new national game-of-the-week telecast on Versus (formerly OLN).

In addition, he has helped spread teams from coast to coast in the United States, mainly through the sale and relocation of struggling franchises.

The next objective on the long-term agenda: Doubling the size of the league by the early 2010s.

"The five-year plan would be to get up to 24 teams," Jennings said Tuesday. "That's what we're trying to get to."

That would include returns to Montreal and Vancouver, Jennings said when asked about Canadian cities which have come and gone during his tenure.

"We have to find the right ownership models [for Montreal and Vancouver] this time," Jennings said. "But we feel they are definites for us."

As a result of that ambitious plan, Jennings may restart discussions of starting a developmental league, for American players joining NLL from collegiate field lacrosse.