Arena Football League Announces Rapid City Marshals as the Latest Team to Join League's Franchises
November 11, 2023 - Arena Football One (AF1)
Rapid City Marshals News Release
Arena Football League (AFL) announced its newest league addition, the Rapid City Marshals, which previously competed in the Champions Indoor Football league during the 2022 season.
Today, the Arena Football League (AFL) announced its newest league addition, the Rapid City Marshals, which previously competed in the Champions Indoor Football league during the 2022 season.
The franchise will continue to be owned by brother-sister duo, Wes Johnson and Rebecca Chapman. The Wyoming natives took ownership of the Marshals midway through the inaugural season of the team in the spring of 2022.
The team will play home games at The Monument in Rapid City, the entertainment destination for the Black Hills Region. Since opening their doors in 1977, they have hosted many of the country's leading entertainment acts while still serving the local area with a number of large annual events. The campus includes multiple performance spaces; Summit Arena, Barnett Fieldhouse, Ice Arena (home to the Rapid City Rush ECHL hockey team), and the Fine Arts Theatre.
"I'm thrilled to witness the Rapid City Marshals continue to thrive with Area Football. I can't wait to see all the fresh new changes they have upcoming. I know with our support, they will have a prosperous season ahead of them," says Commissioner Lee Hutton.
As part of the team joining the AFL, Shon King will serve as the Head Coach for the team with more than 25 years of experience helping with the development and growth of athletes. King previously coached Arena Football for the Quad City Steamwheelers from 2007-2009 serving as WR/Special Teams Coach, then Offensive Coordinator and finally becoming the Steamwheelers Head Coach. Dante Dudley was head coach for two seasons beginning with the inaugural season in 2022. At the close of the 2023 season Dudley was released as head coach after a winless season.
Additionally, the Rapid City Marshals will host a special press conference in the Summit Arena at the Monument where fans can stream on Facebook Live to discuss a "fresh change" to the Marshals organization ahead of their 2024 football season. They will also announce their head coach, 2024 schedule changes, mascot naming contest, Marshals Street Team, and more.
For more information on the, please visit https://www.marshalsfootball.com/home or follow them on Instagram.
The announcement comes after the AFL recently announced the league's ongoing market team franchise Washington, Orlando Predators, Billings Outlaws and West Texas Desert Hawks.
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