In yet another move to grow the AAL brand and team pool ahead of the 2027 season, the American Arena League has expanded to Lufkin, Texas with the Texas Desperados. The move not only brings the league to nine teams, but gives the Texas Region of the AAL an easy-to-navigate path for sensible, affordable travel. Now, with teams in Lufkin, San Antonio, and Denton, a home-and-away series among all three seems like a real possibility.
While we can’t say too much, we did get the opportunity to chat with “Jason,” one of the owners of the Desperados. The conversation gave us quite a bit of insight into the where and why of the new franchise.
What you need to know:
Jason and the others in the ownership group have one common goal: longevity. It was made clear that they wanted to create a situation that was around for as long as the community supports them. While we can’t say exactly who, the owners in this very ownership group have in the past helped create a team that is still around and thriving to this day.
This experience may lend itself to a longer tenure in the sport. Longer-standing franchises are a big talking point among fans, and from what we gathered from the conversation, that is the goal in Lufkin.
You may ask yourself, why Lufkin? What’s in Lufkin? Well, to start, we will be completely honest and say it is a small, not midsize market. When approaching a place like such, you have to go in with a vision that says local and proud, not loud and overly profitable.
While it is completely possible to remain stable in a city of just over 34,000 people, you have to have the right league, budget, and people in place. Jason fully acknowledged the challenges and assured us that he and the other owners want to make this just as much a part of the community as the local parks or Friday night football in the fall. They repeated “ Affordable, Family, Fun”.
Affordable Family Fun
When we asked for more of an explanation, it was made clear that Affordable meant for those supporting the team and running the team. They don’t plan on breaking the bank, but do plan on having a product that fans can appreciate. Family very much meant exactly what it said; they want this to be a place all spring and summer that locals can come and enjoy. After all, it will be the only show in town.
They believe the AAL offers the affordability that is required to provide a market of this size with quality arena football. Fun, the part that draws fans back in, is a focus; they already have plans for theme nights, contests, and all the offseason and between quarters spectacle it takes to keep fans engaged.
When the Desperados kick off, it will have been a decade since arena football graced the city, considering the East Texas Timber Rattlers folded after the 2016 season. This situation will be a bit more organized league-wise than in the past. We can’t officially say where they will play, but if you check out the Shady Sports Magazine, we will have all the details in the September issue!
On a side note, we would also like to point out the fact that the American Arena League is bringing something to the arena ball world we haven’t seen in decades: the ability for small to midsize markets to have a team to call their own in mass. Montgomery lost the Bears in 2007, Marion lost the Blue Racers in 2015, Denton has never had the sport, Kearney lost the Deisel in 2004 (last Pro team), and all will have a professional arena football team in 2027. It’s a huge part of what can make this league great and give smaller cities and the surrounding towns a team to latch onto and enjoy for years to come.
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