Introducing the Colorado Crush
July 15, 2015 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
Colorado Crush News Release
Fort Collins, CO "" The Colorado Ice are proud to announce a name change for the franchise.
The Indoor Football League (IFL) team, effective immediately, will now be known as the Colorado Crush.
Indoor football fans may be familiar with the Crush name. The original Colorado Crush, formerly of the Arena Football League, opened its doors in 2003 with a coalition of key Denver figures as owners: John Elway, Pat Bowlen, and Stan Kroenke. They played their homes games at the Pepsi Center in Denver, CO averaging an attendance of 14,541 per game. However, the team and league ceased operations following the 2008 season.
The new Colorado Crush will continue to play its home games at the Budweiser Events Center in Loveland, CO. The team's logo has been modified to adopt the prominent blue and orange colors that are staples of the area's NFL team, the Denver Broncos.
Head Coach Heron O'Neal, a two time league Champion and former IFL Coach of the Year, stated, "Every now and then, I think it is important to shake things up. This will help the front office with recognition and help the coaching staff with recruiting players."
The Colorado franchise will remain part of the Indoor Football League, which started in 2008 after a merger of the United Football League and the Intense Football League. The IFL just completed its seventh, and most successful season of play. The league set box office records with its member teams averaging over 4,000 fans per game during the 2015 season.
When asked about the name change and the future of the franchise, majority owner Tom Wigley said, "We are very excited about our name change to the Colorado Crush. It's a reflection of our continued commitment to improving Northern Colorado's premier professional football team, both on the field and in the community."
Art Clarkson, Current CEO and Co-Owner, has been through this process before with a hockey team and a baseball team in Alabama. He states, "Rebranding will connect us to the past of the highly successful Colorado Crush. This was a huge success with the Birmingham Bulls and the Barons and we feel it'll take the Colorado franchise to that next level of professional sports recognition."
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Indoor Football League Stories from July 15, 2015
- Introducing the Colorado Crush - Colorado Crush
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