In the modern version of the indoor and arena football game, few things are a sure thing, though this might be one: teams moving and league realignment. While we haven’t seen many teams go away this offseason, we have seen a bit of early movement.
AAL Realignment: Tri-City Horsemen
While this move isn’t exactly a league jump like we usually see, this is still a league jump. After taking the 2026 season off to revamp the situation and make a move to Nebraska, Chris Reynolds and crew have found a new home in the budget-friendly American Arena League. The announcement was made just a few weeks ago and received mixed reviews from the general public. We think this could be a major move for both the team and league.
It gives the Horseman a solid, easy-to-navigate path to sustainability in a market that hasn’t seen legitimate arena football in over two decades. While it may seem as if they are on an island as far as the AAL is concerned, it may be a hint at things to come past 2026-2027. Overall, this is a good move, especially if the relocated version of this team plans on outperforming the Idaho version on and off the field.
Reynolds seems as if he has learned the lesson that comes with stepping up in competition, and who knows, this relatively untapped market ( like several in the AAL) may boom; it may bust, but playing in an owner-centric league like the American Arena League might lend itself to a much better overall experience and production compared to what we got from the Horsemen in the NAL in 2025.
IFL Realignment: Arkansas Diamonds
The IFL adding Arkansas seems like a move out of left field. For some, it was a surprise; for others, it almost seemed like a foregone conclusion. Rumors and rumblings had been going on for a while, but while that also happens with plenty of teams in different leagues, the “Arkansas to IFL” rumor started to gain momentum. The Diamonds come over from the TAL (The Arena League), having played in the last two ArenaMania championship games, unfortunately losing both games, while still proving they can play against the top level of that league’s competition and beyond.
The addition of the Diamonds creates a new opportunity for the IFL in the state of Arkansas. Geographic rivals with Tulsa, San Antonio, and one of the new expansion teams, the Texas Draft, will quickly benefit the Diamonds and their travel schedule. Bones Bagaunte, a former coach, player, and IFL Champion, will lead the Diamonds into their inaugural IFL season. Arkansas already having infrastructure in place from previous seasons will also benefit the team, knowing they only need to make a few adjustments to the IFL style of play.
While the roster construction will tell us to an extent who and how the team looks to play, the front office in place already looks like they’ve hit the ground running, as the switch to the IFL has already appeared seamless. What comes next is anyone’s guess. There will be plenty of questions to answer in the coming months and beyond.
Can Arkansas win a title in their first season? Who will be the starting quarterback? Will the transition of using a kicker, field goal posts, and other nuances help or hurt the team? While we don’t have the answers, we do know this. Arkansas could see themselves under some pressure in their opening foray into the Indoor Football League.
And you know what pressure creates? Diamonds.
Arkansas League Realignment section Written By: Cody Bryant
AAL Realignment: Ohio Legends
I can’t speak for everyone, but most of us saw this coming. If you keep up with Shady Sports and the AAL2, it was made clear from the time that the legends signed to play in the AAL that they had goals that included player housing and payroll. They, in all reality, functioned just a notch below pro in 2026 while stomping out the majority of the AAL2 competition they faced.
It will be a jump that includes updated turf, updated dashers, and a good chunk of planning and restructuring. Though it seems like a tough hill to climb, Winters and his staff have the right backing and mentality to make it work. We always love to see an ownership group get a chance at bigger and better, and this is their chance.
If you’re looking for the Cinderella of the 2027 AAL season, this is it. Think of it like a team making the jump from FCS College Football to FBS. They have a real chance to build up the Marion Market, and who knows, with all the untapped Ohio talent, they may be able to really surprise the arena football world.
#belegendary
NAL Realignment: Wheeling
This, so far, has been the biggest head-scratcher, and will probably stay the big “but why” of the entire offseason. The Miners had status as a founder of the reestablished AAL that is in the process of building into a force. Instead, owner Chris Duffy decided to pull out and bolt to a league almost exclusively based in the Midwest. The travel cost will be worse than anything they dealt with in the 2025 version of the NAL.
The fan may not see it, but Wheeling, near the end of the 2026 season, was getting tight, financially, that is. This, though illogical, might have heavily contributed to the decision to make a move. We are not at liberty to discuss the situation in full, but we are under the impression Wheeling had reason to make this move, that is not visible from surface level knowledge.
While it may very well prolong the Miners, if you look at the obstacle that the move presents, no amount of mental gymnastics makes it logical. Not a single trip (by bus) is less than 12 hours, with several 20+ hour trips.
This alone can push a travel bill beyond what we even see in the AF1 and IFL; in a league that has shown it will let you fold and not help you limp, it seems like a disaster waiting to happen. Though there are rumblings that major investment into the team is on its way or has already arrived, it’s hard to see a path that includes a ton of winning or stability beyond 2027. We have no way of knowing the relationship between the AAL and Wheeling, but you can imagine such a short-sighted move does not leave a good taste in the mouths of anyone in the AAL camp.
The moves so far are sure to shake up the landscape, but we have sources that say this may be just the tip of the iceberg. As mentioned before, the instability of the AF1 feeds into chaos; now, paired with the TAL seemingly on shaky ground makes us all wonder who lands where by the time turf shoe is put to leather in March. If you want all the breaking news, wild speculation, and up-to-date takes, join the crew every Saturday morning for Around the Indoor Football world at 7 AM Central!
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