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This article is about the new and current Arena Football League. For the original league, see Arena Football League.
Arena Football League
Upcoming season or competition:
Current sports event 2024 Arena Football League season
SportArena football
FoundedFebruary 1, 2023; 21 months ago (2023-02-01)
FounderG6 Sports Group, LLC (majority)
F1 Sports & Entertainment (minority)

Chris Chetty (chairman)
Anthony Rossi (president)
Shan Singh (president of operations)
Lee A. Hutton III (then-commissioner)
First season2024
PresidentJared Widman
CommissionerJeff Fisher (Interim)
No. of teams8 (as of June 18, 2024)
CountryUnited States
HeadquartersMiddletown, Delaware
TV partner(s)Gray Television, Vyre Sports, YouTube
Official websitetheafl.com

The Arena Football League (AFL) is a professional indoor American football league founded in 2023 with their first season beginning in 2024. The current AFL takes its identity, history, some of the rulebook and some team names from, but is not directly connected to, the previous iteration of the Arena Football League founded by Jim Foster in 1986.

On February 1, 2023, G6 Sports Group (based in Toronto, Ontario, and Middletown, Delaware), a new ownership group that had acquired the league's trademarks and social media accounts, announced the league's launch, as a revival of the previous Arena Football League that operated in two incarnations from 1987 to 2008 and 2010 to 2019.[1]

The league launched in April 2024 with 16 teams, six of which were absorbed through a pre-launch merger with the existing Champions Indoor Football. Three weeks into the season, after numerous controversies, unfulfilled commitments and teams suspending operations, the ownership group fired founding commissioner Lee Hutton and reorganized as a ten-team league (shortly thereafter restored to eleven, then reduced to nine), hiring former NFL coach Jeff Fisher as its interim commissioner and bringing back general counsel Jerry Kurz from the previous incarnation of the league.

History

Background

Main article: Arena Football League

The original Arena Football League, created in 1981 and founded in 1986 by Jim Foster, had previously existed in two interrelated incarnations between 1987 and 2008, and 2010 to 2019. Only one of the current AFL teams has direct ties to the former AFL: the Albany Firebirds; the Firebirds had previously played as the Albany Empire the previous three seasons in the National Arena League after its ownership group acquired the intellectual properties of the Albany Empire of the AFL (the final champions of that league and itself a successor to two previous AFL and AF2 franchises known as the Firebirds) after the AFL's bankruptcy. Two other existing clubs revive the names of former AFL teams: the Orlando Predators (also coming from the NAL) and the Nashville Kats; several other such revivals were included at the start of the season but were among those contracted in the reorganization.

Pre-launch

On February 1, 2023, over a year after Darren Arbet, who had acquired the league's trademarks out of bankruptcy, sold them to an investment group called G6 Sports Investment Group and sub-partner F1 Sports & Entertainment, the new owners confirmed plans to relaunch the Arena Football League.[2] The relaunched league, led by chairman Chris Chetty, president Anthony Rossi, president of operations Shan Singh, and commissioner Lee A. Hutton III, will feature 16 teams playing a 10-game season over the course of the summer months, followed by a postseason format that has yet to be determined. In a later interview, Chetty indicated that G6 planned no involvement or spending, with its only role being to collect licensing royalties from Hutton, who was given mostly free rein to build out the league: "everything down the line, turnkey. As an investor this sounds good to me. Hey, it doesn’t sound like I have to operate."[3]

The league returned its logo to the one used from 2003 to 2018. The new iteration of the league announced plans to feature "streaming, betting, technology, (and) virtual reality" elements, per Rossi. In a February 2023 interview with ArenaFan.com, the commissioner mentioned that the league would have a salary cap of $700,000, but the league will allows additional salary spending for "franchise players".[4] Players were promised a $1,000 per-game salary, substantially higher than that of other indoor leagues and in line with the AFL's previous incarnations.[5]

On July 18, 2023, TMZ Sports initially reported, and the league soon confirmed, that the AFL had selected the following cities that would be receiving new teams: Austin, Texas; Boise, Idaho; Bakersfield, California; Chicago, Illinois; Denver, Colorado; St. Paul, Minnesota; Lake Charles, Louisiana; Cincinnati, Ohio; Orlando, Florida; Salem, Oregon; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; St. Louis, Missouri; Tallahassee, Florida; Nashville, Tennessee; Everett, Washington and Odessa, Texas.[6] Several of the cities' arenas indicated they had never been contacted[7][8] or had only limited conversations before being awarded teams,[9][10] with Cincinnati's arenas indicating they had in fact rejected the league's advances.[11][12] Hutton purposely avoided confirming any news reports, stating that he would only release information "on our time," and threatened any news outlets who reported critically on the league with "egg on their faces come April 2024."[8]

On August 29, 2023, the league officially announced that the Billings Outlaws, formerly of Champions Indoor Football, would be the inaugural members of the new version of the league.[13] On August 31, the West Texas Desert Hawks (formerly the Warbirds) were the second team confirmed.[14] The Orlando Predators were the third team announced on September 25; with the announcement of the Predators, the league announced its intent to instead have 20 teams in its 2024 season, as it planned on absorbing three additional teams from Champions Indoor Football.[15] On October 5, 2023, Hutton appeared with the owners of three remaining CIF teams—the ICT Regulators of the Wichita metropolitan area, Salina Liberty and Southwest Kansas Storm in Dodge City— and CIF commissioner Mike McCoy as they announced the remainder of that league was merging into the AFL, with McCoy being named AFL deputy commissioner three weeks later.[16]

On November 16, 2023, at the AFL relaunch event, Hutton revealed the 16 teams set play in the 2024 season, while he mentioned the league might expand in the future to 24 teams, as the Chicago Rush and Arizona Bandits are expected to join in 2025 along with other possible teams in markets that were part of the league's original market announcement.[17] Hutton also declared that the league game "will be broadcast, streamed and will also be available in VR". He also referred to the original list of cities and revealed that other "leagues and individuals" (none specified) were trying to cancel teams contracts with the arenas and participated in "anti-competitive practices" to try disturb the league progress, which caused a move to different locations.[18] Hutton also mentioned he's in preliminary talks about conducting international exhibitions games, and with that in mind they changed the official website from "TheAFL.com" to "ArenaFootballUSA.com", as they plan to globalize the game.[18]

Inaugural season

Main article: 2024 Arena Football League season

Following the inaugural week of competition in 2024, numerous problems began to emerge with the league's teams. The Philadelphia Soul coach and roster all departed abruptly before their contest (forcing an American Arena League team from Dallas to don the Soul's uniforms for the game) against the Louisiana VooDoo,[19][20] who themselves were forced to move their home schedule from Lake Charles to Lafayette days before the game after the manager of Lake Charles's arena accused the VooDoo of failing to cover rent or insurance expenses.[21] The Oregon Blackbears' home arena in Salem, Oregon was deemed unsafe, forcing a slew of schedule changes.[22] The Iowa Rampage folded after its inaugural contest, accusing Hutton of reneging on promises to cover increased expenses,[23] while the Rapid City Marshals granted six players their release and renegotiated lower salaries for their remaining players after they also did not receive the promised compensation from the league.[24] a tactic the Washington Wolfpack also used. Their final game was on May 4, 2024, on the road at Southwest Kansas, losing 34–18. Rossi disowned any connection to league operations in the wake of the controversy, instead stating that his company had licensed the Arena Football League trademarks to Hutton's company for a fee that Hutton did not pay.[25] Documents related to the Louisiana VooDoo showed that Hutton had indeed operated the league through the business structure of the Minnesota Myth.[26] These problems have prompted calls for Hutton to resign, including from Billings Outlaws owner Steven Titus.[27] Marshals owner Wes Johnson noted that the league structure centered all power in the commissioner, whom the owners had no leverage to fire.[24] On May 9, 2024, it was announced that the Georgia Force had abruptly folded[28] and the Soul had suspended operations for the remainder of the 2024 season with hopes of returning in 2025.[29]

On May 12, 2024, kicker Melissa Strother made an extra point while playing for the Washington Wolfpack, making her the first female player to score a point in the Arena Football League.[30] Strother, who had previously been on the Marshals roster prior to the CIF merger with the AFL, was a 13-year veteran of women's leagues and a former member of the women's national team.[31]

Change in leadership

On May 13, 2024, in an email from owner Diana Hutton, the Minnesota Myth became the fourth team to suspend operations, blaming it on an inability to raise necessary sponsorships because of "negative publicity" and accusing the owners of "sabotage" in order to force her husband Lee Hutton to resign as commissioner; Hutton confirmed the team's closure publicly a day later.[32][33] Hours later, the same Arena Insider reported that sources with the AFL stated that, in a unanimous vote among the remaining owners, Lee Hutton was ousted as league commissioner and that Nashville Kats president (and former NFL and USFL head coach) Jeff Fisher was appointed interim commissioner. The official announcement was made May 14.[34][35] This is despite a league bylaw that was believed to have granted Hutton total immunity from ouster by league owners;[24] the ouster was made with the full cooperation of G6 Sports Group (owners of the trademarks and connected to the original F1 group that had founded the revival), who had suggested Fisher for the position.[36] Chairman Chris Chetty, who had initially expected to remain in Canada and not to have an active role in league operations, noted that Hutton had breached multiple clauses of his contract with G6 even before the league kicked off, which provided the legal justification for revoking the license on the AFL trademarks.[3]

The change in commissioner did not completely restore stability; Oregon pulled out of a last-minute assignment "due to unforeseen circumstances" on May 24, forcing the temporarily independent Cedar Rapids River Kings to step in the Blackbears' stead;[37] Rapid City, having faced continued labor strife tied to the promises made by the Hutton regime, folded following their May 23 game.[38][39] West Texas reportedly followed suit on June 18,,[40] with the River Kings again stepping in to fill in for the Desert Hawks' final game.[41]

Additions to front office

The league would announce the hiring of its new president and chief operating officer Jared Widman on May 28, 2024, along with the announcement that the league was contracting to nine teams, again removing Oregon (who had been briefly removed from the league web site, then restored, the previous day) for the remainder of the season.[42] Oregon announced a return to play in 2025 on social media and have also retained its previous online broker for ticket sales for "any future home games."[43]

On June 4, 2024, the league officially announced the return of original AFL co-founding partner and former commissioner Jerry Kurz, this time as general counsel and senior advisor of player operations. [44] On June 5, 2024, the league announced the addition of former AFL player Gary Compton as director of football operations. [45] On June 8, 2024, the front office staff added Tracey Leinin as President of Football Administration.[46]

Teams

Team Location Arena Capacity Founded Head coach
Albany Firebirds Albany, New York MVP Arena 13,785 2023 Damon Ware
Billings Outlaws Billings, Montana MetraPark First Interstate Arena 8,700 2021 Cedric Walker
Nashville Kats Nashville, Tennessee Nashville Municipal Auditorium 8,000 2023 Dean Cokinos
Orlando Predators Orlando, Florida Kia Center 17,192 2019 E. J. Burt
Salina Liberty Salina, Kansas Tony's Pizza Events Center 7,583 2015 Heron O'Neal
Southwest Kansas Storm Dodge City, Kansas United Wireless Arena 5,300 2021 Gary Thomas[47]
Washington Wolfpack Everett, Washington Angel of the Winds Arena 8,149 2023 J.R. Wells
Wichita Regulators Park City, Kansas Park City Arena 5,000 2023 Clinton Solomon

Future teams

Division Team Location Arena Capacity Founded Head coach
2025 teams Arizona Bandits Phoenix, Arizona TBD TBD 2023 Darren Arbet
Chicago Rush Chicago, Illinois TBD TBD 2023 TBD

Map of teams

class=notpageimage|
Current locations of teams in the 2024 AFL season:

Former teams

  • Georgia Force - Folded two games into the 2024 season.
  • Iowa Rampage - Folded after one game in the 2024 season in protest of league nonpayment.
  • Louisiana VooDoo - Left out of the league in the 2024 reorganization, but likely to return in 2025.
  • Minnesota Myth - Folded two games into the 2024 season in a maneuver tied to the owner's husband being ousted as commissioner.
  • Oregon Blackbears - Three times removed from the schedule for the 2024 season, but likely to return in 2025.
  • Philadelphia Soul – Suspended operations two games into the 2024 season after playing with replacement players.
  • Rapid City Marshals – Folded five games into the 2024 season due to player unrest.
  • West Texas Desert Hawks - Suspended operations eight games into the 2024 season. [48]

Media

For the 2024 return, the AFL had initially signed a national television deal with the NFL Network for broadcast over 30 AFL regular season games (games were to have been streamed on NFL+);[49] but this never materalized, as NFL Network dropped plans to carry the games before they were played.[50] The league announced on March 29 that much of the league's schedule will be carried on Gray Television owned-and-operated stations in each team's home market and in regional syndication.[51]

Select AFL games had been livestreamed through the Vyre streaming app, but are now being live streamed on YouTube.

Partnerships

American 7s Football League (A7FL)

See also: A7FL

January 16, 2024, the league announced a partnership with American 7s Football League (A7FL) for player development, as players can transfer between leagues, with the A7FL functioning as its de facto minor league. As part of the partnership, both leagues "will collectively align on marketing efforts that will elevate the visibility of leagues athletes".[52]

USA Football

See also: USA Football

In November 2023, the league announced a multi-year partnership with USA Football naming the AFL as an "official national team development & scouting partner", with the AFL helping USA Football recruiting players who want to represent the United States in international competition.[53]

References

  1. ^ Hendricks, Maggie (February 1, 2023). "Arena Football League prepares comeback in 2024 with 16 franchises". Bally Sports. Archived from the original on March 6, 2023. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  2. ^ "News: Arena Football League Relaunch Press Release – The Arena Football League (AFL) – The AFL Returns in 2024!". demosite475.footballshift.com. February 2023. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  3. ^ a b Lind, Andrew (2024-05-26). "How did the Arena Football League end up in this spot?". KOTA-TV. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  4. ^ AFL Rewind Exclusive: AFL Commissioner Lee Hutton – April Update, retrieved 2023-04-14
  5. ^ Silverman, Robert (2024-05-20). "Inside the Collapse of the Arena Football League's Georgia Force". Front Office Sports. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
  6. ^ "16 ORG. LOCATIONS REVEALED Chicago, Philly Get Teams". July 18, 2023. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  7. ^ Streng, Nik (July 19, 2023). "New Oregon Arena Football League team based in Salem seems to be a surprise to all: 'We look forward to learning more'". The Oregonian.
  8. ^ a b Goldstein-Street, Jake (August 8, 2023). "After announcement, Everett's arena football team still seeking arena". HeraldNet.com. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  9. ^ Manning, Johnathan (July 19, 2023). "Lake Charles officials address rumors of Arena Football League team". KPLC-TV. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  10. ^ McKenna, Dave (August 1, 2023). "Arena Football League Relaunch Comes As Surprise To Cities That Will Allegedly Have Teams". Defector. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  11. ^ Springer, Scott (July 19, 2023). "Cincinnati arena football team won't be at Heritage Bank Center". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  12. ^ Watkins, Steve (July 19, 2023). "Heritage Bank Center GM Ropp says Cincinnati's Arena Football League team won't play there". Cincinnati Business Courier. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  13. ^ "OUTLAWS JOIN AFL FOR 2024 SEASON". BillingsOutlaws.com. August 29, 2023.
  14. ^ "Arena Football League announces that the West Texas Desert Hawks will be the newest franchise". NewsWest9. August 31, 2023.
  15. ^ "Orlando Predators prepare Arena Football League return with concerts and more". Orlando Business Journal. September 27, 2023. Retrieved 2023-09-28.
  16. ^ Press conference posted by the ICT Regulators
  17. ^ "Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report November 27, 2023". OurSports Central. November 27, 2023.
  18. ^ a b "AFL Launch Event New York". Arena Football League.
  19. ^ Red, Christian (2024-04-29). "Soul are back playing arena football, but as a replacement team amid claims of 'clown behavior,' unpaid bills". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  20. ^ Molski, Max (April 30, 2024). "Arena Football League relaunch marred by issues". NBC Philadelphia. Archived from the original on April 30, 2024. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  21. ^ "Arena Football's Louisiana Voodoo moving to Lafayette from Lake Charles". KLFY.com. 2024-04-19. Retrieved 2024-05-02.
  22. ^ Letasky, John (2024-05-01). "Billings Outlaws' opponent and location for Week 2 game changed; owner comments on status of AFL". 406 MT SPORTS. Retrieved 2024-05-02.
  23. ^ Parsons, McKenzy (2024-05-02). "Iowa's AFL team discontinues operations at start of their first season". KETV. Retrieved 2024-05-02.
  24. ^ a b c Lind, Andrew (2024-05-09). "NEW: 'Owners can't vote him out,' Q&A with Marshals Co-Owner Wes Johnson". KOTA-TV. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
  25. ^ McKenna, Dave (May 5, 2024). "Is The Newest Arena Football League Already Collapsing?". Defector. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
  26. ^ McLendon, Natalie (2024-05-20). "UL-Lafayette owed more than $30,000 after Arena Football League team folds". Louisiana Illuminator. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
  27. ^ Journalist, Spencer Martin SWX Local Sports Digital (2024-05-03). "Billings Outlaws owner calls for changes in AFL leadership amid league uncertainty". Nonstop Local SWX Sports. Retrieved 2024-05-08.
  28. ^ Arth, Justin (May 9, 2024). The Georgia Force has officially folded and @OfficialAFL has yet to pay me or my teammates salaries for the first two games we played in. I personally have spent money to make sure my teammates can eat. And have run out of money that affects me going to another team out of state. Statement via X. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  29. ^ Philadelphia Soul [@PhiladelphiaAFL] (May 10, 2024). "As announced by GM Kelly Logan, the Philadelphia Soul will be "taking a pause" for the 2024 season, with goals to return to play in 2025. We look forward to bringing Soul football back for all of #SoulNation next year" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  30. ^ Patterson, Nick (May 13, 2024). "Wolfpack make history, but fall 34-21 to West Texas". HeraldNet.com.
  31. ^ "First woman to play in Arena Football League history, part of new Washington Wolfpack team". KING-TV. 2024-05-14. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
  32. ^ Anthony Carter (May 13, 2024). "Minnesota Myth cancels 2024 season, players informed to return home immediately". Arena Insider. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
  33. ^ Day, Jeff. "Arena Football League's Minnesota Myth, once coached by Rickey Foggie, shut down after two games". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2024-05-14.
  34. ^ Anthony Carter (May 13, 2024). "REPORT: Lee Hutton ousted as commissioner. Jeff Fisher appointed as interim". Arena Insider. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
  35. ^ Mike Moraitis (May 14, 2024). "AFL appointing Jeff Fisher as interim commissioner, per report". TitansWire at USA Today Sports. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  36. ^ Organ, Mike. "Former Tennessee Titans coach Jeff Fisher named Arena Football League interim commissioner". The Tennessean. Retrieved 2024-05-14.
  37. ^ "Schedule change has Billings Outlaws next playing June 1 at West Texas". 406 MT SPORTS. 2024-05-23. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  38. ^ "Rapid City Marshals cease of operations citing 'insurmountable obstacle'". NewsCenter1.tv. 2024-05-24. Retrieved 2024-05-25.
  39. ^ "Rapid City Marshals disband citing AFL leadership, financial issues". Rapid City Journal. 2024-05-24. Retrieved 2024-05-25.
  40. ^ Carter, Anthony (2024-06-18). "REPORT: West Texas Desert Hawks suspend operations". Arena Insider. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
  41. ^ It's official....the AFL has secured another opponent for Saturday, June 22nd. The Cedar Rapids Riverkings out of professional American Indoor Football are coming to town... Retrieved June 19, 2024.
  42. ^ "Arena Football League (AFL) Appoints New President & COO Jared Widman". OurSportsCentral. 2024-05-28. Retrieved 2024-05-28.
  43. ^ HUMBL and the Oregon BlackBears Deliver Innovative Digital Ticketing Program. Globe Newswire (press release). Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  44. ^ Chetty, Chris (2024-06-04). "Jerry Kurz Joins Arena Football League as General Counsel and Senior Advisor of Player Operations". Arena Football League. Retrieved 2024-06-04.
  45. ^ Kanhai, Robin (2024-06-05). "The Arena Football League Welcomes Gary Compton as Director of Football Operations". Arena Football League. Retrieved 2024-06-07.
  46. ^ Chetty, Chris (2024-06-08). "Arena Football League Appoints Tracey Leinen as President of Football Administration". Arena Football League. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  47. ^ "Change of Leadership going into the '24 Season". Southwest Kansas Storm. July 26, 2023.
  48. ^ "Report West Texas Desert Hawks Suspend Operations". 2024-06-20.
  49. ^ "NFL Network to televise Arena Football League (AFL), Overtime's football league (OT7) games this spring". NFL.
  50. ^ "Arena Football League is off the NFL Network schedule, through next Thursday". NBC Sports. 2024-05-02. Retrieved 2024-05-02.
  51. ^ "Gray Television Partners to Bring the Arena Football League Viewers Free Over-The-Air Starting April 27". KWCH. 2024-03-28. Retrieved 2024-03-30.
  52. ^ "Arena Football League and American 7s Football League Announce Strategic Partnership". www.arenafootballusa.com. Archived from the original on February 27, 2024. Retrieved 2024-02-27.
  53. ^ "USA Football and AFL Announce Partnership". OurSports Central.
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