BOISE, Idaho — The Arena Football League on Tuesday announced the locations of its first 16 teams as part of the organization's 2024 relaunch following a four-plus-year hiatus. According to the announcement, the City of Trees is set to welcome a new football squad.
Back in February, the AFL announced its relaunch plan under a new ownership group, with hopes of returning to action next year. The league will return under the investment group F1 Sports & Entertainment, which purchased the rights to the AFL in January 2022.
The AFL suspended play and filed for bankruptcy in 2009. It returned in 2010, before once again folding in 2019.
While information on the relaunch is limited, the AFL announced in February teams would play 10 regular-season games prior to postseason competition. AFL Commissioner Lee A. Hutton III will lead the way as the first Black commissioner of a professional sports league in the United States, according to the relaunch announcement.
Tuesday's list of 16 cities includes a combination of preexisting AFL markets and brand-new locations. The league has not yet announced team names, ownership groups or where each team will play home games.
The Boise Burn created a fun experience for football fans in the area during their time in the AF2, the Arena Football League's former developmental league. The Burn competed at Qwest Arena, now titled Idaho Central Arena, in the heart of downtown Boise.
According to the AFL, city selection was the first major step in the organization's relaunch ahead of 2024, with partnership announcements, jersey designs and team mascots to follow. The list of 16 locations announced Tuesday are included below:
- Boise
- California
- Oregon
- Washington
- Austin
- Colorado
- St. Louis
- West Texas
- Chicago
- Ohio
- Minnesota
- Philadelphia
- Louisiana
- Orlando
- Tallahassee
- Tennessee
Earlier this month, the Idaho Horsemen won their second American West Football Conference championship in four seasons. The AWFC is an indoor professional football league which competed in its inaugural season in 2019.
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