THE IFL’S NEW ATHENS FRANCHISE IS ALL ABOUT COMMUNITY

When the new Indoor Football League team in Athens, Georgia was formally announced at an event last Thursday at Akins Ford Arena, there was a word that was used over and over and over again to describe what this new franchise was going to be all about. If you were in attendance, or if you watched clips on social media, you may have lost count as to how many times this word was uttered.

That word is the common denominator for how this franchise is being built. In a town known for its love of football, especially the Georgia Bulldogs, the new franchise will do everything it can to endear itself to the football-hungry fans in Athens.

The word that was used so many times at the event was "community" and it encompasses everything that this team will be about as the runway begins towards kickoff in the spring of 2027.

"The ownership is important," said Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Jerome Bettis who is part of the ownership group. "The ownership has to connect with the community but also bring a great product that the community can be really proud of. The team needs to be a part of the community as well."

Bettis, who spent ten years with the Pittsburgh Steelers and was part of the Super Bowl XL championship team, is one of several big names in the ownership group that will certainly resonate with the sports fans in Athens and neighboring  municipalities in Georgia. 

"I live in this community," said former University of Georgia linebacker David Pollack, part of the team's ownership group. "I'm literally 18 minutes down the road. I love this community. We are in this community all the time. We want to be a part of it and continue to grow."

The star-studded ownership group also includes former two-sport star Brian Jordan, who played safety for the Atlanta Falcons and was an outfielder for the Atlanta Braves. He is also buying into the major theme around this team, acknowledging that while the long-term goal is to build towards an IFL championship, the initial task at hand is to build a fan base.

"We are going to, not only win on the field, but we're going to win in the community," said Jordan. "All my life, all I wanted to do is use my platform for good. To have a chance to come to Bulldog Nation and be able to be out in the community, I am so looking forward to that."

The Indoor Football League will grow by at least two teams in 2027 with new franchises already announced for Athens and also in Austin, Texas. The IFL team in Athens will join the Athens Rock Lobsters minor-league hockey team at Akins Ford Arena, located in the heart of downtown Athens and surrounded by great restaurants and an impressive music scene. 

The Rock Lobsters averaged 4,500 fans this past season and had twelve sellouts, so it's clear that Athens is not just a college sports town, but it's also a pro sports town.

And now, Athens is getting a professional football team. 

"It's incredibly exciting for our group to bring professional indoor football to the Athens/Atlanta region, where fans are so passionate about the game," said Athens Owner, President, and CEO Mike Sammond. "We have a tremendous ownership group that includes respected local business leaders and three iconic sports figures, all of whom wanted to do something meaningful for the community and leave a lasting legacy."

This will not be Sammond's first rodeo when it comes to indoor football. He was part of ownership years ago in AF2, a developmental league for the original Arena Football League. He quickly fell in love with the excitement of "The Indoor War" played on a fifty-yard field, but he also saw the AFL and AF2 slowly go out of business because of unsustainable growth and a business model that didn't work.

Now, he owns a team that will play in the "Major League of Indoor Football". 

"To be part of the Indoor Football League, widely regarded as the premier indoor football league in the country, gives us the opportunity to build something truly special both for Athens and for football fans across the region," said Sammond. "The league has taken a smart, strategic, slow-and-steady approach to growth, with a solid business plan that gives franchises the opportunity to succeed both on and off the field. What really gave us confidence was seeing a league structure designed for long-term stability and success."

Now that the team has been formally announced, the countdown to kickoff in 2027 will follow a carefully designed timeline that will feature some important announcements.

-The new franchise will name its first ever Head Coach in June.

-There is a "name the team" contest that will run through June 20th. 

-The team will narrow the submissions down to the best five or six and then it will go to a public vote.

-The name of the team will be announced in July.

-The team will kickoff their first IFL season in the spring of 2027.

Last week's event wasn't just your typical press conference. It was a spectacle designed to give fans a taste of what lies ahead for when the 2027 season gets underway. There were Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson impersonators on hand as well as fire performers, live music, smoke, video productions and nonstop energy.

The fans in Athens won't just be entertained by the great football that they will see, but they will also be part of an unbelievable gameday atmosphere from the time they arrive until the time they leave. 

"We want to turn sports entertainment on its head and bring Savannah Bananas style energy to all eight home games at Akins Ford Arena," said Sammond. "Fans may not always remember the final score, but they'll absolutely remember the experience and how we made them feel."

IFL Commissioner Todd Tryon was in attendance last week for the Athens kickoff event and he brought another special guest with him…

…the 2026 Indoor Football League National Championship trophy that will be handed out on August 16th in Tuscon, Arizona.

And that brings us to the ultimate goal for the new Athens IFL team…they want to win one of those trophies as soon as possible. 

"Our pledge is to bring a championship team to Athens," said Bettis. "It may take a little while, but that's our plan. We know we already have a championship organization that we're building and hopefully, soon, we'll be able to hoist this trophy and truly make Athens proud." 

"I can promise you this," said Pollack as he looked at the trophy. "The football is going to be good. My phone has been ringing off the hook from players in this league who want to play on this team. We're going to get one of these. It's going to be fun."

"We are going to hoist this trophy, probably sooner than later," said Jordan. "Believe me. Even if Dave Pollack, Jerome Bettis or me have to get out there on the field and win one. We're going to do it." 

Just having those names involved in the ownership group has made this Athens team the talk of the town and there is genuine excitement to see this franchise rise from an expansion team into a championship contender. 

When these guys talk, the people of Athens listen. 

"They are genuinely down-to-earth people who truly care about the community and want to contribute however they can," said Sammond. "They bring instant credibility, tremendous experience, and an unmatched passion for building something special in Athens. More importantly, they're fully invested in creating a team and an experience the community can be proud of."

There's that word again…community.

Throughout the Indoor Football League, there are fourteen existing franchises that do so much for their communities, both on and off the field. Even though they don't have a name, a coach, or any players, the new Athens IFL team has already hit the ground running in terms of laying a foundation and planting roots in the community. 

"Community is everything to us," said Sammond. "Jerome, Brian, and David all run successful charitable foundations, and community involvement has always been a huge part of who they are. That same mindset will be woven into the DNA of this organization. This team belongs uniquely to Athens. Fans won't have to share it with the rest of the state or the Southeast…it's theirs."

There is excitement in the air in Athens, Georgia as the Indoor Football League comes to town next season. The blueprint for success has been established in terms of winning football games and growing a fan base that has already been energized by the kickoff event to announce the team.

If you're already an IFL fan, you know what the sport of indoor football is all about.

For the fans in Athens, Georgia, the exciting, hard-nosed, heart-pounding brand of football will be in town before you know it. 

David Pollack has already bought in.

"We're honored to be a part of it. It's going to be fun. Strap on a seatbelt."

Football fans in Athens are about to go on a fun ride.