Much has been said about the Mississippi Wolfpack’s setup over the past two seasons, with many commenting on the need for improvement. Well in the AAL, criticisms are met with logical thought:
A: Are the critics correct, do we need an improvement?
B: Is this a group of people being overly critical for the sake of disparaging the league?
If the answer to that question is A, then the League immediately sets about solving that issue. This has been a trend that has increased in season two of the AAL. The two main criticisms of the on-field product previously were the field setup/venue for Mississippi and Jersey in 2026. Well, in 2027 this was an area of focus, and now both teams will be returning to the AAL in season 2 with new homes.
AAL Setting Trends with Move to Mennen Arena and Landers Center
Just over a week ago at this point Jersey announced the move to Mennen Arena, an improvement over their home since 2021; Warinanco Arena. As part of the move, the Bearcats will see an increased capacity, and have already mentioned this move has created some buzz locally. For more on the move for Jersey check out the AAL section of the October edition of our Shady Sports Network Indoor and Arena football magazine, link below.
Mississippi was up next and they had been teasing that a new home was coming via cryptic social media videos that internet sleuths very quickly combed through to try and pinpoint the new arena. Now the move is official: the Mississippi Wolfpack will play at the Landers Center in 2027.
Landers Center
Broke Ground: 4/24/1998
Opened: 9/6/2000
Capacity: 8,500 for football
Main Tenants:
Memphis Hustle (NBA G League)
Mid-South Monarchs (hockey)
The arena now known as the Lander Center broke ground on April 24, 1998. It opened its doors to the public as the DeSoto Civic Center on September 6, 2000. On January 4th, 2012, the arena naming rights were sold to Landers Auto Group based in Memphis, Tennessee.
This venue has played host to all the major sports, including basketball, hockey, soccer, and even arena football. From 2001-2006 the Memphis Xplorers played in the AF2, calling DeSoto Civic Center their home for every season. This included their Championship season in 2005. Now arena football returns to the Lander Center 20 years after it left initially.
The Wolfpack bring a championship pedigree winning the 2025 AAL2 Championship and bringing an arena football championship back to Mississippi 2 decades after their predecessor, the Xplorers had done it.
All AAL Eyes on Expansion?
By the time the 2027 season kicks off, all eyes will likely be on the expansion teams looking to get their franchises off the ground in season one. However, my eyes will be on Mississippi and Jersey, two originating members of the AAL rebirth, both of which paved a path for teams to build a foundation in the AAL2 before taking the next step to the AAL. A path now also walked by the Ohio Legends another team working on a visual upgrade for 2027.
Much has been said about the AAL over the past year, but many of those same critics have begun to change their tune as they see the second act in the rebirth of the AAL. If 2026 was about laying a foundation, 2027 is about completing the first floor of the home: in this case, making sure the on-field product looks the part. The league has taken some huge strides in a short time, which has left us asking if this is season two…what does season three look like? Or season five? How about season 10?
Also Check out the Shady Sports Network Indoor and Arena Football Magazine:
https://covver.com/magazine/tbsteelers23-wqk1/ShadySportsMagazineOct/1
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