A newly created indoor football league, the National Gridiron League (NGL), will be bringing an expansion franchise to Evansville.
The team will be named the Indiana Firebirds, playing their home games at the Ford Center.
“We are thrilled to welcome Evansville to our league,” said NGL President Joe McClendon, III. “Evansville passion for sports entertainment and the city’s vision for providing its citizens with the best experiences makes for the perfect time for the NGL to come to Evansville. The expansion of the NGL into Indiana marks yet another positive move forward in the execution of our strategic plan. Seeing that vision come into focus is a tribute to our incredible staff, ownership, and soon to be world-class players. This the league is committed to bringing an elite-level professional team and fan experience the city richly deserves. We look forward to working with the city and the Ford Center on a strategic and successful launch for the Indiana Firebirds.”
The announcement of the team was made on Friday, but initial talks began months ago between the league and the Ford Center.
The Firebirds will begin play in the spring of 2019, the inaugural season for the league with 12 teams.
The league has been in the works since 2017. Each team will play a 16 game schedule.
The NGL will kick off the season in March of 2019.
The league hopes to draw many of its players from college football’s major conferences.
Click here to visit the team’s website.
A press conference will be held on Tuesday at the Ford Center.
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(This story was originally published on Aug. 31, 2018)
