National Arena League
The National Arena League (NAL) is a professional indoor football league that began play in 2017. It consists of teams based on the East Coast of the United States.
| Most recent season or competition: 2023 National Arena League season | |
| Sport | Indoor football |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2016 |
| Inaugural season | 2017 |
| Commissioner | Chris Siegfried |
| No. of teams | 7 |
| Country |
|
| Headquarters | Atlanta, Georgia |
| Most recent champion(s) | Albany Empire (2nd title) |
| Most titles | Albany Empire and Jacksonville Sharks (2 each) |
| Related competitions | Indoor Football League, Champions Indoor Football |
| Official website | nationalarenaleague.com |
Teams' typical payroll budget is $600,000 per season,[1] but as of 2022 season, there's no salary cap limit.[2] Players are usually paid $200 per week (before taxes), and veterans can make $225 with the potential raises for loyalty on a year-by-year basis. Additionally, $50 bonus is given to players on the winning team each week.[3] Some teams also provide housing for its players during the season.
History
Origins
In June 2016, Columbus Lions' owner Skip Seda and father Keke Seda founded a league called the Arena Developmental League (ADL) in the wake of several years of minor indoor leagues folding. The league was announced to begin play in March 2017 and, while not affiliated with any other leagues, intended on developing players to be looked at by scouts in the Arena Football League (AFL), Canadian Football League (CFL), and National Football League (NFL). In their introductory press conference, the league announced former AFL, af2, and CFL head coach John Gregory as its first commissioner and former AFL and af2 head coach Chris Siegfried as director of football operations.
Charter teams began being announced in July 2016 with the Columbus Lions and Lehigh Valley Steelhawks joining from the defunct American Indoor Football.[4][5] On July 21, the High Country Grizzlies announced their ADL membership after initially being announced as an AIF expansion team.[6] On August 11, the Dayton Wolfpack were announced as the league's fourth team.[7] On September 13, the ADL added the Georgia Firebirds from the AIF as the fifth team.[8] On September 21, the league announced its sixth team to be from Highland Heights, Kentucky, owned by Northern Kentucky Professional Indoor Football LLC headed by W. Leland Bennett III. Bennett was one of the owners of the Northern Kentucky Nightmare, a travel team that played in the AIF the previous season, but no name for the ADL team was announced and the franchise was removed from the league when the league later changed names. In October, the ADL added the Anderson Gladiators from Anderson, South Carolina, but they were removed from the league in November due to arena lease issues.[9] On October 17, the Corpus Christi Rage announced it had joined the ADL (although the ADL did not confirm until October 28).[10] On October 20, the ADL announced that the Fort Myers area-based Florida Tarpons were joining the league.[11] However, the Tarpons would also withdraw from the league on November 10 to join the upstart Arena Pro Football.
National Arena League: first seasons
2017 season
On November 18, 2016, the league announced it had changed its name to National Arena League. As part of the change in name, the league management was also restructured so that it was no longer managed by Lions' owner Skip Seda, but was instead managed by all member teams equally. Later that day, the league added a former Arena Football League team, the Jacksonville Sharks. On November 30, the league added the Monterrey Steel from Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico, becoming the first American indoor/arena league to house a Mexican team as well as the first in fifteen years to house a team from outside the United States.[12] In order to satisfy the Sharks' contract with their arena, they were given eight home games in the 12-game season. To balance the uneven scheduling, the Corpus Christi Rage and Dayton Wolfpack each only were given five home games while the other five teams each had six. This was changed again when the Wolfpack apparently never were able to secure an arena lease, despite announcing they would play at the Nutter Center and signed players were reporting on social media that all players had been cut. As of February 20, 2017, all Wolfpack home games were cancelled.[13] During the season, the league took over operations of the Firebirds,[14] Rage, and Wolfpack. The Sharks would go on to finish with an 11–1 record and win the inaugural championship game over the Lions. The Rage and Wolfpack folded at the end of the season.
During the first season, the league announced the first 2018 expansion team in the Jersey Flight of Trenton, New Jersey.[15] During the summer league meetings, the NAL conditionally approved ownership groups in Boston, Providence, Richmond, and Orlando[16] with an expansion application deadline of August 15, 2017. The Richmond Roughriders, formerly of Arena Pro Football, confirmed the next day that they were finalizing their NAL expansion requirements.[17] However, on September 13, the Roughriders announced they were joining the American Arena League instead.
2018 season
On September 28, 2017, the NAL announced on their Facebook page that the Jacksonville Sharks, Lehigh Valley Steelhawks, Columbus Lions, and Jersey Flight had all signed three-year NAL membership agreements and committed to play in the league until 2020. The Monterrey Steel could not commit for 2018 citing the 2017 Central Mexico earthquake. The Georgia Firebirds could not commit due to an ownership transition, but failed to obtain an arena lease. Despite the initially announced August 15 deadline, the next confirmed expansion team was announced in November as the Massachusetts Pirates based out of Worcester, Massachusetts. In the expansion announcement, the league also mentioned adding teams in Greensboro, North Carolina, and Portland, Maine, but no mention of the other previously conditionally approved teams in Boston, Providence, or Orlando.[18] The Carolina Cobras were announced in Greensboro on December 4 and the Maine Mammoths on December 5, with both teams owned by National Sports Ventures, and organization led by NAL executive Rob Storm and Atlanta businessman Richard Maslia[19] and includes Sharks' owner and expansion chairman Jeff Bouchy.[20] The Monterrey Steel and the expansion Jersey Flight would be removed from the league for failing to meet the minimum league obligations prior to the release of the 2018 schedule.[21]
In October 2017, commissioner Gregory stepped down and was replaced by the director of operations, Chris Siegfried.[22] The 2018 season began on April 7, 2018. All three expansion teams fared well, with the Cobras winning the league championship, the Pirates finishing the regular season in first place, and the Mammoths ending the season on a five-game winning streak. However, the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks finished the season winless and the owner announced he was trying to sell the team, while the Mammoths were also announced as looking for local ownership.
2019 season
The league announced its first addition of the 2019 season in the New York Streets with plans to play at the Westchester County Center in White Plains, New York, in December 2018.[23][24][25][26] A revived Orlando Predators team, owned and coached by players from the former Arena Football League team of the same name, was added on January 17, 2019.[27] After failing to reach an agreement with local ownership, both the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks and Maine Mammoths announced they had suspended operations for the season.[28][29] Prior to the 2019 season, Sharks' majority owner and NAL expansion chairman Jeff Bouchy resigned and sold his interest in the team to the other owners on March 11, 2019.[30] The Sharks won the 2019 NAL championship.[31]
2020 season–present
Following the season, the NAL announced it had partnered with Champions Indoor Football (CIF) to create a new league for the 2020 season under a new identity with two conferences: the CIF and NAL.[32] The Massachusetts Pirates chose to not join the merged league[33] and the New York Streets were not mentioned as an included team. However, it was announced on October 10 that the deal had been postponed, with both leagues playing their own individual schedules in 2020.[34] The Pirates rejoined the NAL and the league then added two teams that had originally been given conditional approval to join in the 2018 season, the Jersey Flight[35] and the West Virginia Roughriders[36] (then known as the Richmond Roughriders), from the American Arena League. As with almost all other sports leagues, the NAL suspended operations during the COVID-19 pandemic, with intention to hold the season once social distancing mandates were lifted and it was safe to do so. The season was fully cancelled by June 12, 2020.[37]
2021 season
Following the cancellation of the 2020 season, Massachusetts Pirates left for the Indoor Football League (IFL), while the NAL announced the additions of the Albany Empire,[38] Baltimore Lightning,[39] Louisville Xtreme,[40] Ontario Bandits,[41] and the Tampa Bay Tornadoes.[42] The Baltimore franchise membership was revoked less than three weeks after being announced. The Louisville and Tampa Bay organizations left the league three months after being added, and the West Virginia Roughriders opted to go dormant for 2021 while the owner was trying to sell the team.[43] Louisville instead joined the IFL.[44] The start of the 2021 season was delayed to at least May 2021 due to the ongoing restrictions in the pandemic.[45] One week before the start of the 2021 season, the Ontario Bandits went dormant.[46]
2022 season
For the 2022 season, the league announced it was going to start playing using ironman rules, where most players must play both offense and defense, as originally used by the Arena Football League from 1987 to 2007.[47] In October 2021, the Roughriders stated they will not return to the NAL during a dispute with the league contract,[48][49] but were then in discussions with selling the team to the ownership group led by Ron Trideco to keep the team in the NAL.[50] On November 11, the league announced the San Antonio Gunslingers as an expansion team after playing their inaugural 2021 season in the AAL.[51] The Roughriders, Ontario Bandits, and Jersey Flight were eventually removed from the list of 2022 NAL teams[52][53] and were not included in the schedule.[54]
2023 season
On July 14, the league announced its first addition for the 2023 season in Fayetteville, North Carolina.[55] At halftime of the 2022 NAL Championship, the league announced that the West Texas Warbirds from Odessa, Texas would be joining the league for 2023. On August 24, 2022, the league announced the return of rebound nets, which was popularized by the Arena Football League.[56] On December 22, it was announced that the league had discontinued the membership of the Columbus Lions.[57]
Teams
Map of teams
Current members
| Team | Location | Arena | Capacity | Founded | Joined | Head coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albany Empire | Albany, New York | MVP Arena | 13,785 | 2020 | 2021 | Tom Menas[58] |
| Carolina Cobras | Greensboro, North Carolina | Greensboro Coliseum Complex | 12,000 | 2017 | 2018 | James Fuller |
| Fayetteville Mustangs | Fayetteville, North Carolina | Crown Complex | 10,000 | 2022 | 2023 | Charles Gunnings |
| Jacksonville Sharks | Jacksonville, Florida | VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena | 13,011 | 2009[a] | 2017 | Jason Gibson |
| Orlando Predators | Orlando, Florida | Amway Center | 17,192 | 2019 | Herkie Walls | |
| San Antonio Gunslingers | San Antonio, Texas | Freeman Coliseum | 9,000 | 2020[b] | 2022 | Fred Shaw |
| West Texas Warbirds | Odessa, Texas | Ector County Coliseum | 5,131 | 2019 | 2023 | Tate Smith |
- ^ In the Arena Football League.
- ^ In the American Arena League.
Former members
| Team | Location | Joined | Departed | Brief Franchise History |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson Gladiators | Anderson, South Carolina | 2017 | 2017 | Announced as a team for the ADL's inaugural, 2017 season, but were later removed by the league. Anderson subsequently announced plans to join Supreme Indoor Football, but never played a game. |
| Baltimore Lightning | Baltimore, Maryland | None | None | Announced as a 2021 expansion team, but league terminated franchise two weeks later when team failed to post required Letter of Credit.[59] |
| Columbus Lions | Columbus, Georgia | 2017 | 2022 | An original franchise which played the first 5 seasons. The league discontinued the membership of the Lions prior to the start of the 2023 season.[60] |
| Corpus Christi Rage | Corpus Christi, Texas | 2017 | 2017 | Team operations were assumed by the league after four games, with operations ceased at conclusion of the season.[61] |
| Dayton Wolfpack | Traveling team | 2017 | 2017 | Originally intended to represent Dayton, Ohio, team operators failed to secure an arena lease. Operated as a traveling team during 2017 before ceasing operations. |
| Florida Tarpons | Estero, Florida | 2017 | 2017 | Joined ADL on October 20, 2016 after playing in American Indoor Football. Subsequently announced they had joined Arena Pro Football for 2017 instead, never playing a game. |
| Georgia Firebirds | Albany, Georgia | 2017 | 2017 | Joined ADL after playing in American Indoor Football. League assumed operations during 2017 season. In November 2017, team ceased operations, but was replaced in the market by the Columbus Lions. |
| High Country Grizzlies | Boone, North Carolina | 2017 | 2017 | An original ADL team. Left after 2017 for the newly formed American Arena League.[62] |
| Jersey Flight | Trenton, New Jersey | 2020 | 2021 | Announced by the NAL as a 2018 expansion team, the Flight joined the American Arena League instead. In 2020 the NAL announced the team as a new member again, only this time it actually played in NAL games. The team ceased operations prior to the 2022 season.[63] |
| Lehigh Valley Steelhawks | Allentown, Pennsylvania | 2017 | 2018 | An original franchise which played the first two seasons. Team ceased operations after the 2019 season after failing to identify a buyer for the franchise. |
| Louisville Xtreme | Louisville, Kentucky | 2021 | 2021 | Announced by the NAL as a 2021 expansion team, but league membership was terminated shortly thereafter. The team then joined the Indoor Football League, only to fold as a member of the IFL just weeks into its operation.[43] They joined the Indoor Football League a week later.[64] |
| Maine Mammoths | Portland, Maine | 2018 | 2018 | Established along with the Carolina (Greensboro) Cobras for the 2018 season by Jacksonville Sharks owners National Sports Ventures. Failing to find local ownership for the team and not needing it to continue in order for the league to survive, the team ceased operations after 2018. |
| Massachusetts Pirates | Worcester, Massachusetts | 2018 | 2020 | Announced by the NAL as a 2018 expansion team. Team entered into a three year league affiliation agreement with the NAL, after which neither party renewed the affiliation. The Team joined the Indoor Football League for the 2021 season.[65] after the team was openly looking to join other leagues.[66] |
| Monterrey Steel | Monterrey, Nuevo Leon | 2017 | 2017 | Played in the inaugural season in 2017, but ceased operations afterward. |
| New York Streets | White Plains, New York | 2019 | 2019 | Announced by the NAL as a 2019 expansion team. Played on an undersized field at the Westchester County Center where, among other things, the lockers of players of the visiting Carolina (Greensboro) Cobras were robbed during a game. Ceased operations afterward. |
| Northern Kentucky Nightmare | Highland Heights, Kentucky | None | None | An original franchise. Ceased operations prior to league changing name from ADL to NAL. |
| Ontario Bandits | Ontario, California | None | None | Announced as a 2021 expansion team, but league terminated franchise when team failed to post required Letter of Credit. |
| Tampa Bay Tornadoes | Tampa, Florida | None | None | Announced as a 2021 expansion team, but league terminated franchise when team failed to post required Letter of Credit. Team played in the American Arena League in 2021. |
| West Virginia Roughriders | Wheeling, West Virginia | None | None | Announced as a 2020 expansion team which migrated from the American Arena League. Team suspended operations at onset of COVID-19 pandemic and stated intent to return, but left the league prior to 2022 season due to a financial dispute with the NAL, having never played a game. |
Championships
| Year | Champion (Record in Championship Games) | Runner-up (Record in Championship Games) | Game Site (Games Hosted) | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Jacksonville Sharks (1-0) | Columbus Lions (0-1)[67] | Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena | 27–21[68] |
| 2018 | Carolina Cobras (1-0) | Columbus Lions (0-2)[69] | Greensboro Coliseum Complex | 66–8[70] |
| 2019 | Jacksonville Sharks (2-0) | Carolina Cobras (1-1) | Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena (2) | 52–48[71] |
| 2020 | Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | |||
| 2021 | Albany Empire (1-0)[72] | Columbus Lions (0-3) | MVP Arena | 79–62[73] |
| 2022 | Albany Empire (2-0)[74] | Carolina Cobras (1-2) | MVP Arena (2) | 47–20[75] |
References
- ^ "The Empire are back, but will they make enough money to stay?". Times Union. May 8, 2021.
- ^ "Interview Series; with NAL Commissioner Chris Siegfried".
- ^ "Kenny McEntyre revives Orlando Predators in National Arena League".
- ^ Lions owner Seda establishes new Arena Developmental League July 9, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Dana Barker, Columbus Ledger-Inquirer, July 7, 2016
- ^ "Steelhawks Announce Arena Developmental League Affiliation". OurSports Central. July 19, 2016. from the original on August 16, 2016. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
- ^ "Grizzlies Announce New Affiliation". OurSports Central. July 21, 2016. from the original on August 16, 2016. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
- ^ "Dayton Wolfpack Announce Intentions to Join ADL". ArenaDL.com. Arena Developmental League. August 11, 2016. from the original on January 22, 2017. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
- ^ "Georgia Firebirds to join Arena Development League". The Albany Herald. September 13, 2016.
- ^ "Weekly Sports League & Franchise Report". OurSports Central. November 7, 2016. from the original on November 8, 2016. Retrieved November 7, 2016.
- ^ "Ceremony held for new Corpus Christi Rage arena football team". KIII. October 17, 2016. from the original on October 21, 2016. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
- ^ "League to Welcome Former Two-Time Champion Florida Tarpons". ADL. October 20, 2016. from the original on February 6, 2017. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
- ^ . NAL. November 30, 2016. Archived from the original on September 21, 2017. Retrieved November 30, 2016.
- ^ "NAL's Dayton Wolpack set to become a travel only team". Arena Football Talk. February 20, 2017. from the original on February 26, 2017. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
- ^ "WEEKLY SPORTS LEAGUE & FRANCHISE REPORT". OurSports Central. May 22, 2017. from the original on July 3, 2017. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
- ^ "JERSEY FLIGHT FOOTBALL, INC. Announces kick-off of the Jersey Flight Arena Football Team". Gloucester City News. March 10, 2017. from the original on March 21, 2017. Retrieved March 20, 2017.
- ^ "NAL Announces Teams for 2018 Play - Northeast Bolstered by Expansion". NAL. July 20, 2017. from the original on August 14, 2017. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
- ^ Brandon Russell (July 21, 2017). "Richmond Roughriders officially announce NAL Expansion". Last Word On Sports. from the original on September 14, 2017. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
- ^ "Indoor football league plans to put expansion team in Portland". Portland Press Herald. November 15, 2017. from the original on November 17, 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
- ^ "Maine Mammoths, arena football team, calls a halt after one season". Portland Press Herald. February 6, 2019. from the original on February 7, 2019. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
- ^ "Mammoths to bring arena football to Portland". The Forecaster. December 5, 2017. from the original on December 5, 2017. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
- ^ "NAL SET TO BEGIN PLAY IN APRIL - League Schedule to be Released This Week". NationalArenaLeague.com. December 13, 2017. from the original on December 14, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
- ^ . NAL. October 9, 2017. Archived from the original on October 9, 2017. Retrieved October 9, 2017.
- ^ Neil Best (December 18, 2018). "New York Streets announced as new arena football team". NewsDay. from the original on December 19, 2018. Retrieved December 27, 2018.
- ^ Carron J. Phillips (December 18, 2018). "As the first black sports owner in NY history, Corey Galloway bringing arena football back to the city". New York Daily News. from the original on December 19, 2018. Retrieved December 27, 2018.
- ^ Peter Schwartz (December 19, 2018). "Schwartz on Sports: Corey Galloway, owner of the NY Streets". New York Sports Day. from the original on December 28, 2018. Retrieved December 27, 2018.
- ^ Nancy Haggerty (December 20, 2018). "Pro arena football to debut at County Center in spring; owner hopes for multi-league playoff". The Journal News.
- ^ "Predators Return for the 2019 Season". NAL. January 17, 2018. from the original on January 19, 2019. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
- ^ "Maine Mammoths Suspend Operations for the 2019 Season". OurSportsCentral.com. February 5, 2019. from the original on February 7, 2019. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
- ^ "Lehigh Valley Steelhawks to go on hiatus for 2019 arena football season". The Morning Call. February 14, 2019. from the original on February 15, 2019. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
- ^ "Jeffrey Bouchy Facebook post March 11, 2019". Facebook. March 11, 2019.
- ^ "SHARKS WIN! Jacksonville Reclaims the NAL Title". from the original on August 20, 2019. Retrieved August 20, 2019.
- ^ "NAL and CIF merge to form new indoor football league". WTVM. September 26, 2019. from the original on September 26, 2019. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
- ^ "Pirates Weigh Anchor from NAL/CIF Partnership". Massachusetts Pirates. September 26, 2019. from the original on September 26, 2019. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
- ^ "National Arena League and Champions Indoor Football to Postpone 2020 partnership". NAL. October 10, 2019. from the original on October 10, 2019. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
- ^ "National Arena League Continues to Expand North with New Jersey to Join the League in 2020". OurSports Central. October 25, 2019. from the original on October 25, 2019. Retrieved October 25, 2019.
- ^ "NAL Expands North, West Virginia to Join League in 2020". OurSports Central. October 24, 2019. from the original on October 25, 2019. Retrieved October 25, 2019.
- ^ "June NAL Season Update". National Arena League. June 12, 2020. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
- ^ . National Arena League. August 13, 2020. Archived from the original on August 18, 2020. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
- ^ . National Arena League. August 1, 2020. Archived from the original on August 6, 2020.
- ^ . National Arena League. July 22, 2020. Archived from the original on July 22, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
- ^ . National Arena League. November 13, 2020. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020.
- ^ . National Arena League. July 24, 2020. Archived from the original on July 24, 2020. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
- ^ a b . National Arena League. October 30, 2020. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
- ^ . Indoor Football League. November 6, 2020. Archived from the original on November 6, 2020.
- ^ "NAL Announces 2021 Schedule Shift". OurSports Central. February 9, 2021.
- ^ "Ontario Bandits Become Dormant For 2021 Season". National Arena League. May 24, 2021.
- ^ "THE NAL BECOMES THE NEW HOME FOR IRONMAN FOOTBALL". NAL. October 8, 2021.
- ^ "Update: We can't seem to get on the same page with the NAL on our league contract". West Virginia Roughriders Facebook. October 12, 2021.
- ^ "Are you playing in the NAL???". West Virginia Roughriders Facebook. October 24, 2021.
- ^ @WVRoughriders (October 27, 2021). "Update; We are in talks with TX4 group for purchase of team. TX4 group also has ownership of Albany Empire & Orlando Predators. Ownership would keep team in Wheeling and play in NAL. Will keep fans posted as we move into further Negotiations. #Ridermafia" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "NAL ANNOUNCES SAN ANTONIO GUNSLINGERS AS EXPANSION FRANCHISE". National Arena League. November 11, 2021.
- ^ "About the NAL". NAL. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
- ^ . NAL. Archived from the original on December 2, 2021.
- ^ "NAL ANNOUNCES IT'S 2022 SCHEDULE". NAL. December 21, 2021.
- ^ "NATIONAL ARENA LEAGUE ANNOUNCES EXPANSION TEAM FOR 2023". National Arena League. July 14, 2022.
- ^ "NAL BRINGS BACK REBOUND NETS FOR 2023". National Arena League. August 24, 2021.
- ^ "NAL DISCONTINUES MEMBERSHIP OF THE COLUMBUS LIONS". National Arena League. July 14, 2022.
- ^ "Empire Announce Coach". OurSports Central. April 16, 2021.
- ^ "Baltimore Lightning Update on 2021 Season". NAL. August 19, 2020.
- ^ "NAL DISCONTINUES MEMBERSHIP OF THE COLUMBUS LIONS". National Arena League. July 14, 2022.
- ^ . KRIS-TV. June 15, 2017. Archived from the original on July 22, 2017. Retrieved June 26, 2017.
- ^ "High Country Grizzlies Leave NAL; Join AAL". Last Word on Sports. September 20, 2017. from the original on September 21, 2017. Retrieved September 20, 2017.
- ^ . NAL. Archived from the original on November 11, 2021.
- ^ "LOUISVILLE JOINS IFL FOR 2021". Indoor Football League. November 6, 2020.
- ^ "NAL Update: Massachusetts Pirates". National Arena League. July 14, 2020. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
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- ^ "National Arena League Championship". YouTube.
- ^ "Columbus Lions throttled in national championship game". Ledger Enquirer. August 29, 2018.
- ^ "NAL Championship Game Highlights: Cobras Win 2018 Title". WFMY2. August 27, 2018.
- ^ "Sharks rally to defeat Carolina in National Arena League final". Florida Times-Union. August 17, 2019.
- ^ "In a new league, Empire headed to another arena football title game". The Times Union. August 7, 2021.
- ^ "2021 NAL Championship - Columbus Lions vs Albany Empire". YouTube.
- ^ "Albany Empire win second straight NAL title". The Times Union. August 13, 2022.
- ^ "2022 NAL Championship - Carolina Cobras vs Albany Empire". YouTube.
External links
- National Arena League's official website