AFL, once home to Dynamite and Crush, is returning to Colorado
Jul 19, 2023, 12:08 PM | Updated: 12:15 pm
The AFL, or Arena Football League, is returning home to Colorado.
That news was announced on Tuesday, as the 16 cities / states that will get AFL teams were revealed. The league folded after the 2019 season in the wake of financial problems that plagued it for years, but is coming back.
The moment 🏈 fans have been waiting for!
🙌 First 16 teams have been announced ( Watch until the very end 😎)
Whose ready for the AFL's return?!? pic.twitter.com/N92Zz35KFU
— Arena Football League (@OfficialAFL) July 18, 2023
Colorado has been home to two AFL teams over the teams. First, the Denver Dynamite from 1987-1991 and then the Colorado Crush from 2003-2008.
The Crush were owned by late Denver Broncos chairman Pat Bowlen, legendary QB John Elway and current Avalanche, Nuggets and Rapids owner Stan Kroenke. Elway also served as GM, leading them to a championship in 2005.
The Dynamite, who won the title in 1987, played at McNichols Sports Arena. The Crush called Pepsi Center (which is now known as Ball Arena) home. No formal announcement of where the new team will play their games has been made yet, but Ball Arena seems like a logical choice.
“We are extremely proud to share the initial markets that will serve as the foundation of the new era of the Arena Football League,” AFL Commissioner Lee A. Hutton III said, according to TMZ.
Other markets to get teams include Austin, Chicago, Orlando, Philadelphia and St. Louis. Smaller cities like Salem, Oregon and Odessa, Texas are getting teams as well. You can see the full list at the end of the video above.
At this point, very few details are known on the new team that will call Colorado home. Who will own it? What will the name be?
Hopefully we’ll know that in more in the coming months, as the AFL is set to play a 10-game season beginning in April of 2024.
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