NIFL brings pro football team to Fayetteville, Arkansas
December 15, 2005 - National Indoor Football League (NIFL)
Arkansas Stars News Release
FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas - The National Indoor Football League (NIFL) announces that an expansion team The Arkansas Stars is coming to Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Stars will play in 2006 at Randal Tyson Track Center. The NIFL season is March through June.
The NIFL executive board has agreed to a request by Katona Hargrave to place an expansion team in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Carolyn Shiver, League President said, "We look at the Fayetteville area as an excellent site. We're happy that we can make it happen."
Owner of the Arkansas Stars is Gildehaus and Hargrave Investment Group. Ron Hargrave worked for the Montgomery Maulers in 2005 and played professional soccer in the early 80's. Katona Hargrave is a professor at Troy University and owns a successful business in Kansas City. Steven Gildehaus owns successful businesses in the Kansas City area.
The Arkansas Stars are pleased to announce that the Randal Tyson Track Center will be the official home of the Arkansas Stars. "Our affiliation with the Randal Tyson Track Center allows the team to bring family and professional entertainment to the Northwest Arkansas area," Katona Hargrave said. "Pam Luker (Event Coordinator of University Conference and Entertainment Center) has been very gracious and a great help to us in getting this team set up in Fayetteville.
The Arkansas Stars have hired Ken Abernathy and David Higgins the owners of Red Ball Productions a corporate event and trade Show Company to be the General Manager of the team. "Ken and David are very excited about being the GM for the team and are looking forward to bringing the excitement of professional sports to the families of NWA," said Ron Hargrave
The corporate office is at Redball Productions' offices in Springdale, Arkansas. The organization is now taking applications for employment. Applicants for sales, management, officer manager and coaching may apply on line or by calling 816-200-4237.
Seating at Randal Tyson Track Center will be general admission, reserved, and field seats. There will also be floor boxes right next to the dasher board sidelines. Floor boxes are often purchased by businesses and groups but some will be reserved for individual sales. Season tickets are on sale now on the website or by telephone. Prices are $105 for reserved and $130 for field seats for seven home games. Individual single game tickets are $10, $16 and $19. "Randal Tyson Track Center is a nice arena to play in and has a lot of room. We believe every game will be a sell-out so we are recommending everyone purchase season tickets while they can," Katona Hargrave said.
Indoor football is one of the fastest growing professional sports in the country. Its "real" football played on an indoor turf the size of a hockey rink. A padded wall is all that separates the fans from the players. Footballs that go into the stands during regular play become souvenirs of the fans. On average, 30-40 footballs go into the stands every game. The NIFL style of indoor football is very similar to the outdoor game in that players do not play both offense and defense. Consequently, they are able to better develop their skill at their chosen position. The differences from the outdoor game include the size of the teams, its 8-man football, there's no punting, it's usually high-scoring and it's very, very fast! To learn more about the game and the NIFL go to the website www.niflfootball.com.
Schedules for the 2006 season are not complete at this time but the season begins the middle of March and runs through August. The Arkansas Stars can expect to play teams generally from the Midwest and the Southeast regions of the country.
For additional information about the Arkansas Stars the NIFL, ticket purchasing information, or corporate sponsorship information, please call 479-756-8247 or email ron@arkansasstars.com. Additional information about the NIFL can be found at the league website, www.nationalindoorfootballleague.net or call 888-422-9682.
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National Indoor Football League Stories from December 15, 2005
- NIFL brings pro football team to Fayetteville, Arkansas - Arkansas Stars
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