Expansion 2007

[Dilbert]

Okay so lets get this right

Macon has folded
Texas Copperheads join
Laredo Lobos join
Boise joins
Mahoning Valley Thunder joins
Alaska Wild joins

"The af2 will add Cincinnati and several Texas teams next year, and projects a 28-team circuit for 2007. The league would like to add hockey/football joint operations in Toledo and Peoria for 2008." from the PJStar.com
http://www.pjstar.com/stories/091606/ROU_BAVLU2DQ.W02.shtml
Also Mississippi Headhunters join in the future as well

[rams80]

They may as well like Peoria in all they want, but the Rivermen haven't drawn 6000 a night since the mid-90s when they were in the old IHL. Peoria will never enter the Empire under those conditions, and since Saurs has tunnel vision on the Empire, they will not have football period for the forseeable future.

[tony-o]

San Diego Riptide is expected to return.
Lexington Horsemen are rumored to be joining the af2 in 2007.

[rams80]

San Diego will not return next year.

[Malepig]

Lexington is not financially stable enough to join the af2 after trying.

[Dilbert]

Check the middle of the article. Sam Adams may be involved with bringing the AF2 to Cincy

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060908/SPT02/609080321/1066/SPT

[toad455]

There will be 28 teams.

The league currently has 23 teams.

Macon & Memphis will fold making 21.

Tulsa is relocating to Wichita Falls.

There will be 7 expansion teams: Alaska, Boise, Mahoning Valley, Laredo, Katy, Corpus Christi & Cincinnati. That makes 28.

Alignment

NORTHEAST
Wilkes-Barre
Albany
Manchester
Mahoning Valley
Cincinnati
Quad City
Green Bay

SOUTHEAST
South Georgia
Florida
Tennessee Valley
Birmingham
Bossier-Shreveport
Arkansas
Louisville

MIDWEST
Amarillo
Rio Grande Valley
Katy(TX)
Corpus Christi
Laredo
Oklahoma City
Wichita Falls

WEST
Alaska
Boise
Spokane
Everett
Stockton
Bakersfield
Central Valley

[preeths]

More changes in the works. This is the first I've heard of Wichita Falls.

[Minor League Man]

More changes in the works. This is the first I've heard of Wichita Falls.
toad455 got suckered into believing the fake DusterNation report on the "Wichita Falls (Game)Cocks"

THE TALONS ARE STAYING IN TULSA!

[nksports]

toad455 got suckered into believing the fake DusterNation report on the "Wichita Falls (Game)Cocks"

THE TALONS ARE STAYING IN TULSA!

Is Tulsa's ownership still tied to the CHL Oilers? I believe both were Horn Chen properties before the Oilers were sold to a local group.

[Reichert]

The Copperheads are officially Texas, not Katy. And the team may not end up in Katy, either...more on this from the Copperheads in the next couple of weeks.

[IRUNTDS]

Is there any truth to Memphis, Tennessee Valley and Arkansas folding ? Does anyone know anything?

[da man]

I dont think there will be a wichita falls team but there will be a team in lubbock, thus making a 6 team texas division that should be called the Southeast. Alaska may not get in for the 2007 season and Chorpus is still negotiating.
The team is called the Texas Copperheads not katy anymore.

[rams80]

Is there any truth to Memphis, Tennessee Valley and Arkansas folding ? Does anyone know anything?

Memphis-some truth

Arkansas and TV...first I've seen of it.

[Pickle]

I dont think there will be a wichita falls team but there will be a team in lubbock, thus making a 6 team texas division that should be called the Southeast. Alaska may not get in for the 2007 season and Chorpus is still negotiating.
The team is called the Texas Copperheads not katy anymore.

Actually, both Southeast and Southwest wouldn't make any sense considering that Texas is neither of the two. South Central would be more like it.

[sportznut]

screw it.. call it what is is.. Texas Division! hahahahah

[txman23]

does anyone have information on Lubbock going to afl2?

[mrinsideto-u]

Lubbuck WILL not be going A2, She has stated that many times

[txman23]

can you provide some proof of that?

[phydeaux72]

Lubbuck WILL not be going A2, She has stated that many times

She (whoever "she" is, I'm assuming the Gunslingers owner) has stated that they will either stay in the NIFL or join the new UIFL. Truth is, she doesn't have the stacks to go af2 on her own anyway. That franchise is a joke. The NIFL is probably the only league that would accept them at this point.

However, the af2 will most likely be in Lubbock for 2007, with or without the Gunslingers, probably without.

[preeths]

She has stated here the team will not return to the NIFL.

[austinturfcats]

i bet several will follow the arkansas stars and mr wilkinson to the new ufl

[cap]

Lubbock's a lock. Are they using LOBO's since they can't use gunslingers?

[tony-o]

The Lobos are in Laredo, not Lubbock.

[da man]

still waiting on some news about the Texas Copperheads!!!!!1

[phydeaux72]

still waiting on some news about the Texas Copperheads!!!!!1

You're not the only one. It's interesting that the af2 still hasn't officially announced any of these Texas franchises yet with their season being less than 6 months away.

[rams80]

Apparently they want to make one grandiose announcement (the better to hide problems in any of their new teams.)

[phydeaux72]

Apparently they want to make one grandiose announcement (the better to hide problems in any of their new teams.)

Sounds very NIFL-esque if you ask me. The af2 used to make expansion announcements well over a year in advance. But then again, after what they did for the championship game this past season, I'm not convinced that the af2 is prone to making smart decisions as of late. It looks like it's going to be an interesting season for the af2 in 2007. While some of these new franchises may do well, I have a feeling that the af2 is going to end up tarnishing the market for indoor/arena football in a good number of these cities. They've already done it in Laredo once. Yet they're dead set on giving it another go around.

[da man]

Whers the AF2 love!

Of course no league can be perfect in the eyes of many, but dont knock the success of it!

Texas Copperheads will rule!!!!

[rams80]

As seen on another board

Oct 06, 2006 - (Fort Wayne) - Freedom owner Rich Coffey Friday said he has a handshake agreement with Jeremy Golden of Golden Light Enterprises, a Lakeland, Florida based group, to sell the indoor football league team for a price in the mid six figure range. Coffey says the deal will be finalized next week. Attorneys were checking over the details of the transaction in advance of final approval. Coffey says the the Freedom will play in Arena Football II in 2007, and that claims to the contrary by United Indoor Football have no validity. (Written by Dean Pantazi)

Online searches for Jeremy Golden turned up the following.

http://www.tbo.com/news/metro/MGB5AE706QE.html

(he was the backer for the failed reality af2 show-until the money vanished)

http://www.oceancenter.com/calendar/calendar2.cfm?id=434

(he was the Vice President of CSM, and the NIFL director of Florida expansion).

So much for due dilligence.

[preeths]

I think everyone just tones out the af2 bashing by one or two people here. We know they hate the league and will put a negative spin on anything they do, or don't do. We all understand that like any minor league, af2 does have some issues. They're not perfect, but they deliver their product as advertised. I wish more leagues could do the same.

[preeths]

As seen on another board

Online searches for Jeremy Golden turned up the following.

http://www.tbo.com/news/metro/MGB5AE706QE.html

(he was the backer for the failed reality af2 show-until the money vanished)

http://www.oceancenter.com/calendar/calendar2.cfm?id=434

(he was the Vice President of CSM, and the NIFL director of Florida expansion).

So much for due dilligence.

Now this is legitimate cause for concern. ANY tie to Tony Pewonski should be looked at very thoroughly.

[mrinsideto-u]

Any one seen pewonski, alot of people are looking for him also. Numbers kind of guys from south philly