Lions Announce 10th Anniversary Schedule
December 9, 2015 - American Indoor Football (AIF)
Columbus Lions News Release
Columbus Lions 2015 PIFL Champions Logo
(Columbus Lions)
Columbus, GA - The Columbus Lions of the American Indoor Football League are entering their tenth consecutive year of operations which ranks them amongst the longest existing professional indoor football teams in the country. Columbus began operations in 2006 as the Chattahoochee Valley Vipers in the World Indoor Football League and was later sold to the current local ownership group during that season. The local ownership comprised of John Hargrove, Kike and Skip Seda, and Keith Norred later rebranded the team in 2007 as the Columbus Lions. Lions Head Coach Jason Gibson, who has been the Head Coach since the beginning, attributes much of the success of the franchise to his owners and the fans.
"What started out for me 10 years ago as a job that I felt was a stepping stone has turned into a career with an organization that many consider to be one of the premiere franchises in all of indoor football. Our fans and sponsors continue to support our product year in and year out and the relationship I have built with them over the years is truly the biggest reward of all" He continued, "Having a strong group of local owners who work together and share a common vision has definitely set us apart from other organizations and the players recognize the stability of the organization which helps me recruit the top talent."
Heading into their tenth year, the Lions have been able to move over 50 former players to either the NFL, CFL, or AFL which is all part of Gibson's plan. "We recruit the best players possible and put them into a position to succeed so that they can be recognized and have opportunities to move to different levels of football. Some players move up and others make Columbus their home." Many former players who are not playing are still impacting players locally, "From my first year we have 9 former players that are currently coaching in the Bi-City area either as a collegiate or high school coach," Gibson added.
The Lions are coming off a 2015 PIFL Championship and have decided to move into American Indoor Football League in 2016 after operations of the PIFL have been suspended. The AIF consists currently of 20+ team and 4 of which are former league champions from other leagues. "We will find out pretty quickly where we stack up with some of the other league champions and I look forward to the challenge," stated Gibson.
The Lions have just announced their 2016 home game schedule which is aimed to positively impact the Chattahoochee Valley. The season will kickoff Sunday March 20th at 4:00PM and run through June. Below is a breakdown the five home games and the theme associated with each:
Date: Kickoff: Theme:
Sunday March 20th 4:00 PM "Family Night"
Saturday April 9th 7:00 PM "Cancer Awareness Night"
Saturday April 16th 7:00PM "Youth Night"
Saturday April 23rd 7:00 PM "Salute to Service Night"
Saturday May 14th 7:00 PM "Education/ Fan/ and Sponsor Appreciation"
Saturday May 28th 7:00 PM First Round AIF Playoffs
Images from this story
 Columbus Lions 10th Anniversary Logo |
 Columbus Lions 2015 PIFL Champions Logo |
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