Apparently the world of Arena Football is going to get a new player come next Monday. Of course we all know that the AFL canceled the 2009 season, before disbanding earlier this year. Now it had been reported that their minor league system, the AHL2, would continue operating. The AFL2 was a league based in smaller markets, and was due to add at least one team in 2010 in the Toledo Bullfrogs. However no team had committed to the AFL2 for the coming season, and now it looks like remnants of both Arena Leagues will seek to begin a new Arena League.
The Oklahoma City Yard Dogz, Arkansas Twisters, and the Spokane Shock have all confirmed that they are in the middle of planning a new Arena League to be based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This new league is expected to be made up of team from both the AFL and AFL2.
While there is a market for the indoor version of American football, the AFL really expanded itself out of business. Instead of building up a loyal fan base in cities that do not feature other major league sports, they tried to build a league within major American cities. Many of those teams failed, and the AFL2 had lots of success placing teams in smaller markets.
However the AFL2 also was a victim of over expansion. In its first year of 2000 there were 15 teams, the very next year they league added 13 teams, many of whom were not financially stable. If this new leagues is to get off the ground they should start with 10-12 teams and resist the urge to add teams each and every season.
