What a move for the American Arena League, and what an ownership group to bring into a league that is exploding, but not just throwing together franchises. The addition of the Rome Red Cats signals a turning point in the league’s expansion that the average fan may not fully understand.
We have seen plenty of teams appear in the past, but it’s not often an expansion team shows up with a proven group of owners quite the way that Rome has. With the likes of Kacee Smith, Richard Masila, and James Moreland in a single franchise, winning won’t be in question.
Experienced Ownership: Kacee Smith and Richard Masila
We had the opportunity to get on a call with Kacee Smith, who seemed flat-out excited to have a team in Rome. As we came to discover, the location of the Red Cats meant more to Smith than just a place to play; it’s home. During the conversation, he said on several occasions, “ I have always wanted to bring a team close to home, but it had to be in the right league, with the right partners, at the right time”.
We got the feeling that the affordable, travel-friendly structure of the AAL was perfect for his vision of a hometown team. He and Masila formerly owned the Columbus Lions, and when you take that into account, the passion, arena ball business experience, and knowledge of what it takes to build and maintain a franchise are already in place.
Foundation Already Poured
Once you realize who Smith and Masila are, and what they are capable of, the next focus, of course, has to be a place to play, a coach capable of finding the best talent, and the community that is pivotal for long-term success. Well, as you might have guessed from the name, all those pieces are already in place.
Head Coach and Co-Owner James Moreland
If you don’t already know who he is, you will. The longtime owner and head coach of the Peach State Cats, the single best developmental arena football franchise in the country, will be taking a step up. Moreland has spent most of the past decade finding and developing talent through several channels.
If you click below, you’ll find a recent article on how he managed to build the Cats and the GIFL up in a fairly short time. He has a knowledge of the game that is unmatched and a knack for finding talent similar to how Bill Belichick was able to find throwaway players and late-round picks and turn them into pro bowlers.
Take, for example, Evan DiMaggio, who played for the 29ers in the GIFL and Peach State before dominating the NAL in 2026. We have no doubt his years of finding hidden gems and shaping the next generation of arena football players will see him to a ton of winning, and winning early.
2026 Peach State Cats: What It Takes To Be Great
If you don’t trust us, go find out for yourself… Look up the 2026 Peach State Cats… and more specifically the 54-40 (loss) to Columbus that saw Moreland and his staff compete for all four quarters against a stacked Columbus roster, with a Developmental roster.
Market and Venue
The market is very underutilized. The last time we saw a team take the field in “The Forum,” as locals call it, was 2014 in the PIFL. (On a side note, the Red Cats have the resources and foresight that will see them to more longevity and success than the Fire).
Fans will show up, as the Red Cats will be one of only two teams in a blue-collar, football crazy region of the Peach State.
The Forum is also a very affordable, small venue that will make even a crowd of 1500 look absolutely packed. The very personal nature of the way it is laid out will give fans on any level of the arena the chance to be right up on the action.
It’s almost the perfect venue for small-market regional arena football. Considering the venue and market have not been used in over twelve years for the sport, there may be an excitement not felt in quite some time. We definitely look for this to be a fun place to watch a game in front of a fairly packed crowd.
Community Plans
This is a part of the sport many owners overlook, but is so very needed, especially in smaller markets like Rome. It won’t be overlooked in this franchise.
The team plans on hiring a community liaison, someone who knows the area well and can ensure they are at every event or happening in the area. Even more involved will be the full-time mascot!
Yes, they plan on having a full-time, all-around-town-style mascot to draw as much attention to the franchise as they can. Overall, the plan is to make this “Rome’s Team” not just another event, but as much a part of Rome as the Bulldogs are to Athens or the Falcons are to Atlanta.
As you can tell, we at Shady Sports are excited to see this franchise come to be for the 2027 season; it’s yet another well-thought-out, well-planned, strong franchise for the American Arena League. Tryouts are ser for October 3rd, look for more information on the Red Cats Social Media Pages.
If you love the sport, want to hear more on the Red Cats, or enjoy unhinged takes, catch Around the Indoor Football World from Shady Sports every Saturday at 7 AM.
If you haven’t already, check out the Shady Sports Network Magazine! (Special thanks to Cool McCain for making sure the Red Cats had an in-depth section for this month)
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