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The Tri-Cities Fever was officially announced as a member of the new Arena Football 1 league at a press conference in Tulsa., Okla., on Monday.
The Fever is one of 16 confirmed franchises in the new league, which combines teams from the defunct Arena Football League, the arenafootball2 league and other indoor leagues.
The initial 16 teams are: Arizona, Arkansas, Bossier-Shreveport, Central Valley, Chicago, Iowa, Jacksonville, Kentucky, Milwaukee, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Spokane, Tennessee Valley, Tri-Cities, Tulsa and Utah.
But aside from announcing the teams, new commissioner Jerry Kurz was short on details, saying that structure, organizational details, schedules and other particulars will be determined in the upcoming weeks.
"I was expecting more," said Fever owner Teri Carr, who was in Tulsa, the league's headquarters. "I think they were expecting to say more."
Kurz said eight more teams have submitted applications for membership to the new league and will receive consideration for inclusion for the 2010 season through Oct. 9. During that time, other teams may submit applications as well.
"There has been arena football before," Kurz said. "It's been done well, but not as good as it's going to be done this time."
In addition to announcing the Oct. 9 deadline, Kurz also said coaches and players contracts will start Nov. 1.
The season is expected to follow that of the af2 with games starting in late March or early April and running into August. Each team will play 16 games (eight home, eight away), with the identical rule book used by the AFL and the af2.
It was announced earlier this month that the Fever would return to playing arena football by current minority owner Doug MacGregor. It will be the sixth season -- in three different leagues -- of indoor football in the Tri-Cities since 2005.
But this time Carr believes its here to stay.
"This is definitely different," she said. "There was no one down here that wasn't a legitimate business person."
That is a stark contrast from what Carr endured when she ran the Fever in the National Indoor Football League in 2005-06, having to deal with teams folding midseason or having to pay for other team's travel expenses.
Carr said there were any surprises in Monday's meetings. The biggest news happened closer to home when the Boise Burn announced it was suspending operations for next season, saying the majority owner decided not to move into the new league.
The Burn was an expansion franchise in the af2 with the Fever.
"I was incredibly disappointed," Carr said. "They said they were in. I am shocked and disappointed."
The Fever will start renewing season tickets for the upcoming season Thursday. Tickets go on sale to the public Nov. 9.
