Arena Football League announces new franchise in Minnesota
Minnesota Myth logo (Courtesy of Vital Versatility)
It’s a myth no more — a brand new Arena Football League (AFL) team in Minnesota was officially announced on Tuesday.
The Minnesota Myth were introduced as the AFL’s newest franchise, with Diana Hutton serving as the league’s first-ever Latina majority team owner.
“We are absolutely thrilled to bring the AFL back to Minnesota,” AFL Commissioner Lee Hutton said. “The Myth have an opportunity to establish a brand-new legacy and for one of the best sports cities in America.”
As part of the announcement, former University of Minnesota Golden Gophers quarterback Rickey Foggie was named head coach. Foggie was also the quarterback for the AFL’s Minnesota Fighting Pike in 1996 along with a number of other teams in the league.
The Fighting Pike only played one season as an expansion team in 1996 with an overall record of 4-10.
The Arena Football League has gone through two previous iterations — from 1986 to 2010 and 2010 to 2019. Earlier this year, the Arena Football League announced it would be relaunching under new leadership with plans to begin play in 2024.
The other teams that have been officially announced as part of the new AFL include the Philadelphia Soul, Louisiana Voodoo, Nashville Kats, Oregon Blackbears, Iowa Rampage, Wichita Regulators, Salina Liberty, The Southwest Kansas Storm, Rapid City Marshals, Albany Firebirds, Washington, Orlando Predators, Billings Outlaws and West Texas Desert Hawks.