The Arena Football League is Back!

Hey, check this out! The Arena Football League is making a comeback! The league announced today on its Twitter account that the indoor football league will return in 2024.

The Arena Football League kicked off in 1987 but ran into financial troubles in the late 2000s and shuttered in 2019. The AFL plans to relaunch with 16 teams next year, and play a 10-game season.

The league has named Lee A. Hutton III, the commissioner. Hutton is an attorney who worked on significant cases in the NFL and NCAA landscape. He will become the first Black commissioner in professional sports.

Here’s a statement from chairman Chris Chetty:

“Our commitment is to deliver a professional sports event every week indoors, on the shoulder of the summer season when the world craves entertainment and competition,” Chairman Chris Chetty said.

“We aim to produce a family-friendly, yet equally electric atmosphere for our committed fans. As Chairman, my objective will be to change the culture of professional sports ownership and it is with great confidence that I state – from the owners to the players – we will be the most racially-diverse professional sports league in the world.”

Honestly, I like this. I though the Arena Football League was a pretty fun football alternative during the NFL offseason. The Arena Football League never tried to be the NFL, and that was one of the selling points.

Locally, you might remember the Chicago Rush. The Rush played at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont and won the Arena Bowl in 2006. The Rush folded in 2013.

The Arena Football League is also famous for being the launching pad for Kurt Warner’s NFL career. Warner played for the Iowa Barnstormers from 1995 to 1997.

written by

Patrick grew up in Chicago's Bridgeport and Garfield Ridge neighborhoods before moving to the Western Suburbs of Chicago before eventually relocating to the Las Vegas area with his family in 2023. He started with Bleacher Nation in 2021 and has spent time as a Staff Writer and on the Chicago Blackhawks beat. He is currently a writer and editor at Bleacher Nation covering the Chicago Bears and the NFL at large and the author of the Bleacher Nation Newsletter. Patrick is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA).

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