VooDoo announce 2008 schedule
November 1, 2007 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
New Orleans VooDoo News Release
After a handful of key signings made the club one of the most active teams in the Arena Football League during the initial week of the free agency period, the New Orleans VooDoo unveiled their 2008 schedule today. The VooDoo open their fourth season at the Los Angeles Avengers, Feb. 29, and kick off their home slate March 9th at the New Orleans Arena against Southern Division rival the Orlando Predators.
The VooDoo will also host a nationally-televised contest on Monday, May 26 when New Orleans hosts the Georgia Force on ESPN2. The entire broadcast schedule will be announced at a later date.
"We are eager to bring another heart-pounding football season to our VooDoo fans with this exciting schedule." said Rita Benson LeBlanc, Owner/Executive Vice President of the VooDoo. "We are proud to provide a game day experience that is both action-packed and fun as we build a championship team for New Orleans."
The VooDoo take on nine playoff teams from 2007 - the Colorado Crush, Columbus Destroyers, Dallas Desperados, Georgia Force, Los Angeles Avengers, Orlando Predators, San Jose SaberCats, Tampa Bay Storm and Utah Blaze. New Orleans faces only one team that had a losing record last year - Cleveland - in the first seven weeks of the season.
Columbus and San Jose, who last squared off in New Orleans for ArenaBowl XXI, will both return to face the VooDoo in the Graveyard. The VooDoo will play home-and-home series with their three Southern Division rivals; Georgia, Orlando and Tampa Bay.
"There's no doubt we have our work cut out for us with a schedule full of quality teams," said Mike Neu, the 2004 AFL Coach of the Year in the VooDoo's debut season. "We like what we've done to the roster and the way we developed our young players, and we are eager to put the group together on the field and get to work. This is going to be an exciting season for our fans."
In an opening weekend matchup, the VooDoo and the Avengers will start the 2008 AFL season on Friday, Feb. 29 at the Staples Center. New Orleans then hosts the Predators to open the divisional schedule in their home opener on March 9. The following two weekends, the VooDoo host Tampa Bay and the newly-relocated Cleveland franchise.
Some of the other highlights of the 2008 schedule include:
- The VooDoo will look to take advantage of an early schedule that features three of their first four games at the New Orleans Arena, including division clashes against Orlando and Tampa Bay.
- The VooDoo will travel to Colorado, Los Angeles and New York for the first time in franchise history. They will also host Cleveland, Grand Rapids and Utah for the first time.
- In a key season-ending stretch, the VooDoo play three of their last five games at home, kicking off with the Monday Night Football tilt against Georgia on Memorial Day evening, May 26.
- The Playoffs are scheduled to start the weekend of June 27-29.
The VooDoo signed free agent C Adam Metts yesterday, the latest in a flurry of recent signings since the AFL free-agency period opened. WR Derrick Lewis - one of the league's top targets and a New Orleans native - was the club's top acquisition, a group that also includes DB Lin-J Shell and WR Sale' Key.
New Orleans VooDoo season tickets are now available, starting as low as $64 for the entire season. For additional information, please call (504) 731-1700.
2008 NEW ORLEANS VooDoo
REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE
KICKOFF
DATE OPPONENT SITE TIME*
Fri., February 29 at Los Angeles Avengers Staples Center 9:30 p.m.
Sun., March 9 ORLANDO PREDATORS NEW ORLEANS ARENA 2 p.m.
Sun., March 16 TAMPA BAY STORM NEW ORLEANS ARENA 2 p.m.
Fri., March 21 CLEVELAND NEW ORLEANS ARENA 7:30 p.m.
Sun., March 30 at Colorado Crush Pepsi Center 3 p.m.
Sat., April 5 SAN JOSE SABERCATS NEW ORLEANS ARENA 6 p.m.
Sat., April 12 at Dallas Desperados American Airlines Center 7 p.m.
Fri., April 18 at Arizona Rattlers US Airways Center 9 p.m.
Fri., April 25 UTAH BLAZE NEW ORLEANS ARENA 7:30 p.m.
Sat., May 3 at Georgia Force The Arena at Gwinnett Center 6 p.m.
Fri., May 9 at Tampa Bay Storm St. Pete Times Forum 6:30 p.m.
May 16-19 BYE WEEKEND
Mon., May 26 GEORGIA FORCE NEW ORLEANS ARENA (ESPN2) 7 p.m.
Fri., May 30 COLUMBUS DESTROYERS NEW ORLEANS ARENA 7:30 p.m.
Sat., June 7 at New York Dragons Nassau Veterans Memorial Col. 6 p.m.
Fri., June 13 at Orlando Predators TD Waterhouse Centre 6:30 p.m.
Sat., June 21 GRAND RAPIDS RAMPAGE NEW ORLEANS ARENA 6 p.m.
Postseason
June 27-29 AFL Wildcard Round
July 4-6 Divisional Round
July 12 American and National Conference Championships
Sun., July 27 ArenaBowl XXII (ABC)
*All kickoff times Central. All days/times subject to change
Additional radio and television broadcast schedule to be announced at future date.
Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from November 1, 2007
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- Storm Announce 2008 Season Schedule - Tampa Bay Storm
- Rattlers Release 2008 Schedule - Arizona Rattlers
- Los Angeles Avengers announce 2008 schedule - Los Angeles Avengers
- 2008 Philadelphia Soul Schedule Set; Weekends Are Back - Philadelphia Soul
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