Thunder cancel remainder of 2006 season
May 26, 2006 - National Indoor Football League (NIFL)
Big Sky Thunder News Release
LAFAYETTE, LA ...Big Sky Thunder announces today that they are canceling the remainder of their 2006 game schedule. Big Sky Thunder has done an excellent job of completing their away scheduled games to date. This was a decision made by the NIFL in an attempt to rescue the future of the Big Sky Thunder Football team.
Regrettably, they will forego the remainder of their 2006 season. This critical decision has been made due to the fact that the Valley Ice Garden has been sold as well as the high rent costs for use of the facility. Big Sky Thunder learned recently that the Valley Ice Garden has been sold and is destined to become a cold storage facility. The Thunder may not have a place to play their home games for the 2007 season. It is next to impossible for Big Sky Thunder to get a commitment from local investment groups to keep the team in Bozeman when the future of a home venue is in doubt.
The current investors in the team understand the situation with the Valley Ice Gardens and have been especially supportive of the Big Sky Thunder during its inaugural year. The Big Sky Thunder could not have asked for more support than that which they have received from the community of Bozeman and are thankful for the opportunity to make Bozeman their home.
The Thunder ownership has decided that a home schedule for 2006 is not as critical as finding a home venue for 2007 forward. It would not be a good business decision for the team to expend dollars paying rent on a facility that is destined to close at the end of the season.
From the Big Sky Thunder to the Bozeman community and the local investors: let's come together and save the team for the future of our kids. Together we can build a family oriented event where our kids can be safe; our local MSU athletes can come to play professional football at the end of their college career when higher leagues such as the NFL may not respect our local talent and parents of all ages can come to watch their kids be inspired by a game that can bring them freedom and success.
It is a further reaching and more sound business decision to forego the 2006 home games saving the rental fees in favor of seeking a new venue for 2007 and forward. It is the NIFL and Big Sky Thunder's goal to assist the team in spending dollars in securing a venue for many years to come, not just for 4 more games.
The Big Sky Thunder has placed a request with Montana State University to use their venue for 14 available dates for the 2007 season and the outlook is positive thus far; with this in the works the future of The Big Sky Thunder is yet to be determined.
For further information, contact Eric Sellars at 406-579-6361.
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National Indoor Football League Stories from May 26, 2006
- Special Group Nights Planned For Remainder of the Season - The Marshals
- Thunder cancel remainder of 2006 season - Big Sky Thunder
- Commentary: NIFL Daily Buzz - OSC Original by Jerry Hewitt
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