THE WINDS OF CHANGE ARE BLOWING THROUGH TUCSON

Sometimes, change is good.

In the case of the Tucson Sugar Skulls, change has turned out to be very good on and off the field.

The changes began last summer when Kevin and Cathy Guy sold a majority interest in the franchise to a local ownership group led by Edmund Marquez and Ali Farhang. The transaction signaled a new era in Sugar Skulls history and it set the stage for what is happening this season. 

"I'm very excited," said Marquez, the majority owner of the Sugar Skulls. "I was super excited because most businessmen's dream is to own part of a football team."

Or so he thought he was buying just a small part of the team.

HOW IT ALL UNFOLDED

Last summer, Marquez was standing in his kitchen when he received a call from Kevin Guy asking him if wanted to purchase part of the team. At first, the negotiations centered around 2% or 5% of the franchise, but after a number of phone calls back and forth, that number increased to a controlling interest of 95% with Kevin and Kathy Guy retaining 5%. 

Marquez would purchase a 25% stake while Farhang, who went to high school with Marquez, bought a 20% share of the franchise. And then, Marquez and Farhang had a plan to make sure that the rest of the new ownership group were based in Tucson, all with 5% shares of the team. 

"I wrote down eleven names on a dry erase board and I said the first ten to say yes gets to buy a piece of the team," said Marquez. "We sold to the most dynamic CEOs in town who own companies and love football. This is like a Board of Directors. We call ourselves the Board of Governors and I'm the President and majority owner." 

With new and local ownership in place, it was time for the Sugar Skulls to make some upgrades for the 2026 Indoor Football League season. 

THE SUGAR SKULLS GET A FACELIFT

While the ultimate goal is to win an IFL championship, the Sugar Skulls' new ownership group knew that there were other objectives heading into the 2026 season and that included a new look throughout the organization.

"We've worked hard to elevate every single facet and piece of this team from the front office to the helmets to the gameday experience to the coaches to the players to the uniforms," said Marquez. "We've been trying to upgrade everything. 

With all of the upgrades in place, it was time to see how everything would unfold when the 2026 season commenced. 

Off the field, the franchise is thriving.

-The average attendance has doubled from 2025. 

-The team has sold more sponsorships than ever before. 

-The concourse tables for sponsors are sold out.

-The VIP Touchdown Terrace above the field is sold out for the season. 

"The Boneyard" is alive and well.  

"It's on fire," said Marquez. "We've increased the energy in the stadium ten-fold. The community is embracing us which is awesome."

On the field was another story.

After a 2-2 start to the season, the Sugar Skulls would close the first half of the season on a four-game losing streak. 

Business was good, but the team was struggling.

"At the halfway point, I gave us A's and Bs across the board except for our win-loss record."

More changes were on the way.

A MAGICAL BYE WEEK

With a 2-6 record, the Sugar Skulls went back to the drawing board during the bye week. Marquez and Head Coach Rayshawn Kizer would have a phone conversation that may have saved their season in terms of the on-field product. 

They agreed that preparing for 2027 was not the right thing to do and instead they decided that there was still time to rebuild the team for a second half run. 

"We said let's rip the band aid off," said Marquez. "Let's not wait until next season. Let's make the changes we need to make now in the front office and with personnel on the team and coaches."

During the bye week, the Sugar Skulls made some changes to the coaching staff and they brought in nine new players.

"It was the perfect time to make changes," said Kizer. "We have some really good coaches who can teach this game. It's all about players coming in and buying into our culture here, going out there and just playing hard, and winning football games." 

One of the most pressing needs on the team was at the quarterback position, so the Sugar Skulls swung a deal with the New Mexico Chupacabras to acquire Ja'Rome Johnson, a former IFL Most Valuable Player. 

Following the bye week, Johnson made an immediate impact.

A STATEMENT WIN

This past Saturday night at Tucson Arena, it was time to see how the Sugar Skulls would do after all of the personnel changes. The Orlando Pirates rolled into "The Boneyard" with a 5-3 record and competing for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

The task at hand appeared to be a tough one but…

…the Sugar Skulls snapped their four-game losing streak beating Orlando 53-37 with Johnson igniting Tucson's new-look explosive offense.

For Johnson, it was like starting his season all over again.

"I feel like it's a fresh start and a new season so I really appreciate it," said Johnson. "It was good for the team's confidence. Playing a team like that and being able to go out there and put on a show like that for everybody to see was a good boost making the playoff push." 

The IFL is a quarterback driven league and the Sugar Skulls brought in one of the best.

"He just wanted to be somewhere where he could compete and he could win," said Kizer. "We're happy to have him here and now we're looking to make a run in the second half of the season. 

"He was a gamechanger," said Marquez. 

A gamechanger to the point where the victory improved the Sugar Skulls to a 3-6 record and they're tied with the San Antonio Gunslingers for the fourth and final Western Conference playoff spot. 

"I'm ecstatic for the guys," said Kizer. "They've been working hard. We've just been falling short every week. It seemed like the ball just wasn't bouncing our way. It's good to see that we're still in the playoff hunt and I feel like I have the right group of guys who are ready to compete in the second half of the season." 

A second half that begins on Sunday.

LOOKING FOR A STREAK IN THE OTHER DIRECTION

After putting an end to their four-game skid, the Sugar Skulls kickoff the second half of the season on Sunday when they host the New Mexico Chupacabras at Tucson Arena (4pm ET Yahoo Sports) with hopes of putting together a winning streak. 

New Mexico comes in with a record of 1-8, but the Sugar Skulls aren't about to take anything for granted.

"New Mexico is better than what their record says," said Kizer whose team already has two wins over the Chupacabras this season. "I've been watching film on them. They're a very good team. They have very good players over there. They're just not finishing games. They're on the up and up and you saw that this past game against San Diego. We cannot take this game lightly." 

A separate storyline to this game is that Johnson will be facing his former team for the first time since the trade that sent him to Tucson.

For Johnson, it's an opportunity to take care of business.

"I'll just treat it like another game," said Johnson. "Let's go out there and win a game. It's a must-win for the guys."

And "The Boneyard" should be rocking with the fans and the community energized following the win over Orlando. This Sunday, the crowd will include some special guests.   

"The entire University of Arizona football team is attending the game," said Marquez. "Two of the star players are honorary captains." 

There is a palpable feeling of optimism and excitement in Tucson as the Sugar Skulls make a push for the playoffs. 

THE PIECES ARE IN PLACE

It's amazing what a win can do for a team…just one win.

For the Sugar Skulls, the victory over Orlando following the roster and coaching shakeup has breathed new life into the team. There is now a feeling that this could be a playoff team and with games against Western Conference powerhouses like Vegas, Arizona and San Diego still on the schedule, the Sugar Skulls are about to find out if they're ready for postseason football. 

"I love that we have to play those teams again," said Kizer. "We just have to make sure we take it one game at a time. The motto is to go 1-0 each week."

That belief is now permeating its way around the locker room.

The team, including the nine new players, believe they have everything they need. 

"We got the pieces everywhere," said Johnson. "The weapons on the outside, a great offensive line, a great running back, and a defense that can take the ball away. We can definitely make a push."

And that push includes an ultimate goal of a National Championship Game on their home field.

A DREAM ENDING?

2026 marks the second season of a three-year agreement for the Indoor Football League to hold its National Championship Game at Tucson Arena. There have been two NFL teams, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Los Angeles Rams, to win a Super Bowl on their home field.

If the Sugar Skulls can punch their ticket to the playoffs, they will have a chance to do the very same thing. 

"We will always think championship," said Marquez. "I believe in the old saying if you aim for the moon and you miss, you land among the stars so we will continue to think championship. Hopefully we peak at the end of the season as we go into the playoffs." 

And the players are starting to think about it. 

"For sure," said Johnson. "That's the end goal of the season is to play here and bring a championship to Tucson.

The Sugar Skulls are subscribing to two sayings…

"You have to be in it to win it"

And "There's no place like home."

This is a new era for the Tucson Sugar Skulls who launched in 2018 and played their first IFL season in 2019. With new local ownership, an energized community, and a re-tooled roster that includes an electrifying quarterback, this is a feeling around the team that anything is possible.

All it took was some change.