The Arena Football League unveiled its 16-team league in a Twitter post on Tuesday — and one will be based in Minnesota.
Arena Football League announces return to Minnesota in 2024
It's unclear where in Minnesota the team will play, but Lee A. Hutton III, a former Gopher and attorney in Minneapolis is serving as league commissioner.
July 19, 2023 at 2:11AM
The AFL, which folded in 2019 due to a large worker's compensation lawsuit and disagreeing owners, announced its return as a league in early February. The AFL plans to return to play in 2024.
According to the league's website (theafl.com), Lee A. Hutton III will serve as commissioner. Hutton, a former Gophers football receiver, is an attorney from Minneapolis.
The league will resume operations under F1 Sports & Entertainment, which purchased the rights to the league in 2022.
It's unclear what city the Minnesota team will play in. Other locations include: Boise (Idaho), California, Oregon, Washington, Austin (Texas), Colorado, St. Louis, West Texas, Chicago, Ohio, Philadelphia, Louisiana, Orlando, Tallahassee (Fla.) and Tennessee.
This will be the second time that Minnesota has landed an AFL franchise. In 1996, the Minnesota Fighting Pike played 14 games as an expansion team with home games at Target Center. The Pike went 4-10 with former Gopher Rickey Foggie starting at quarterback.
That franchises folded after one season with owner Tom Scallen telling the Star Tribune at the time that several vendors were owed about $200,000 that they wouldn't be able to collect.
"Our debts far, far exceeded our revenue," Scallen said, adding that he lost $400,000 on the franchise.
The Vikings roster must get down to 53 by Tuesday, and staff writers Ben Goessling and Andrew Krammer offer their opinions as to who makes it and who doesn’t.
