We have all seen and know the National Arena League. The league has had its ups and it’s downs, but recent news has raised a few eyebrows. This is the kind of news that sets Leagues apart and invites in next-level talent, opportunity, and stability. One of these improvements will even improve the fan experience! So without further rambling here are the biggest highlights and headlines from the NAL offseason:
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GOAT Sport’s Deal & NAL Shoppo
If you have been a fan of the indoor game for the past 10 years you have no doubt noticed the lack of team merch. Unless your team has a team shop, or you can snag it at a game it’s almost impossible to find. Well, at least for the National Arena League, it seems those days are over.
Recently the National Arena League took a step up in this department by launching the NAL shop. Yes the IFL has individual teams with shops, and the AF1 has Royal Retros, but this is above and beyond. We took time to explore the shop top to bottom, and it is everything a hardcore National Arena League fan could ask for!
Through all our digging we haven’t found another place that supplies a mini helmet from every single team. We haven’t found anywhere else with quite as nice and affordable replica and fan jerseys either. The website is easy to navigate, you can shop by team, by item, or even by seasonal collections.
While Goat Sports won’t be a name brand in the NFL or UFL ranks, we in the Indoor Football world are all too familiar. Also without goat sports none of this would be possible, not only will they equipment fans, they will be outfitting the entire league!
Below will be the official announcements and a link to the NAL Shop.
https://www.thenationalarenaleague.com/news/national-arena-league-launches-official-online-sto
https://www.thenationalarenaleague.com/ne8ws/national-arena-league-and-goat-sports-announce-exc
Solid Footing Expansion
When you’re a league like the NAL trying to regain market share in an already crowded room expansion can be tricky. If you set the bar too high, you’ll never find new teams, if it’s too low? You end up looking similar to AFL and NAL 2024.
The National Arena League has been no stranger to mid-season folding and schedule restructuring, but it seems that maybe a thing of the past. As said by members of the Around the Indoor Football World, the NAL looks strong enough to help a failing franchise to at least the finish line if things were to absolutely fall apart.
Since the National Arena League has already ended expansion for the 2026 season, let’s look at who they brought in:
First off is the Amarillo Warbirds who come with very experienced ownership in a market that has a long history of indoor and arena ball. They have had a productive off-season, GM & co-owner Leif Kertis has been working double time to put together a suitable staff, sponsorship deals, and a winning back of the local community. There isn’t a single doubt that the War Birds will be a competitive, multi-year franchise.
Second, and not by much, is the Pueblo Punishers. This franchise was a bit of a surprise to most of us. Despite using a co-head coach model they chance to be just as successful as their soon-to-be in-state rival. They have made a few decent signings, but the off-the-field work has been impressive. You can’t run a Franchise without money, and it seems as if the massive amount of sponsorship that has come in over the last month will provide a bit of stability. They won’t just be a great addition, they also provide a much-needed regional playing partner to the Spartans.
Out of the three, the Dallas Bulls are the only one we did have questions about. The Doc Hudson-owned franchise is just as much an expansion franchise as it is a reboot. Soon after they parted ways with their previous head coach many of us had worries, as this wouldn’t be the first time the Bulls attempted a National Arena League launch, but it would be the first successful one.
Most of our worries have since subsided and been replaced with a growing confidence. The announcement of a new head coach Robert Kent felt promising, but the list of additional hires didn’t stop there. They announced everything from the Football Operations staff to a team Chaplain.
This move lets us at Shady Sports know they are taking things seriously. They are taking the steps behind the scenes to ensure they can put out a good product. Overall we are just excited to see how far the Bulls can take it!
We can’t predict the future, but if anything, these three at the very least let us know that the National Arena League has taken steps to improve its vetting process of potential owners. If this is any indication of future expansion franchises, the National Arena League will be neck and neck with the biggest leagues in the sport.
AF1 Additions & Reform to Regionality
The Addition of the Kansas teams, the SWK Storm and the Salina Liberty, has been one of the overall best moves of any league. The pair originally played in the Midwestern-based CIF before jumping over to the failed AFL 2024, and then the Arena Football One. They were never built or played in markets that required national travel.
The move marks an end to fairly expensive nets, and the ability to bus to nearly every single game for the pair. Not only that they join a list of other former CIF teams with built-in rivalry and familiarity. Some have gone as far as calling this the CIF 2.0 (not something the leadership in the NAL cares for very much).
Columbus and Wheeling left early in the offseason to reboot the AAL, further eliminating travel, as every single team is now Midwestern outside of Louisiana. This step will help keep teams alive, travel and roster(overspending) are what kill even the most stable franchises. If Brandon Ikard is reading this (the NAL Commissioner), our hats are off to you! For what? For creating the most sustainable version of this league since it began in 2017.
SNHU Partnership- NAL Life
We won’t spend a ton of time on this, but this is a brilliant move. The National Arena League does have a ton of guys that finished college, though it has plenty who haven’t. The NAL does plenty of calling up from leagues like the UIFA, WIF, and AAL2, and this gives them a chance to make after-football moves.
No one playing the games wants to ever see it end, but it is inevitable. This move gives players the ability to further their education, and some to start it! No matter the education level, this will draw players who want opportunity, on and off the field. We linked the article to the original announcement below:
https://www.thenationalarenaleague.com/news/national-arena-league-launches-nal-life-initiative
Overall the National Arena League is on the uptick, as the name says. The teams that make it up have 67 combined seasons in indoor ball ( and a couple in Arena). The 25-26 off-season has been great for the entire sport, but none has been better than the NAL offseason! There are hints that the NAL isn’t done cementing itself as a top-level contender.
Check back in the coming months for more on how Commissioner Ikard and staff are revolutionizing the National Arena League. We possibly will be bringing you never-before-heard information on one of these league’s expansion teams, so definitely keep your eyes out in the coming weeks for more info!
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