It’s been quite the week for the Arena Football League (AFL). On Tuesday Night, we reported that the ArenaBowl XXXIII was potentially in danger of not being played at all. Late payments caused the American Dream Center – the venue this game was supposed to be played at – to temporarily back out.
However, what transpired on Wednesday ended up saving the final game for the AFL. The league was able to put together the necessary funds needed to finalize the contract and keep the game on, as first reported by Michael Kelly.
As of this morning, the field has finally been put down at the Center – something that wouldn’t have happened without this late breakthrough.
Getting ready!!! pic.twitter.com/Q7VCemCkGS
— Billings Outlaws (@outlawsafl) July 18, 2024
Times Union, a publication based out of Albany, spoke with Firebirds’ Head Coach & General Manager, Damon Ware, yesterday. Ware states that there were “financial things that needed to get figured out”, and went on to say that “They were working on that deal late last night [Tuesday] and finished it off this morning”.
Times Union also spoke with Albany Firebirds owner Mike Kwarta, who said “Some things had to get squared away…and they got squared away.”
When we reported what we did on Tuesday Night, American Dream did intend to back away from the deal, with the large debt that had been accumulated. As with most of what the AFL has seen this year: it’s messy.
We’ve spoken with sources within the AFL and those closely related to the situation, who all confirm the same thing. American Dream, as of Wednesday morning, was willing to keep the game on schedule, as long as the venue was paid in full.
Update: American Dream does tentatively plan to go ahead with ArenaBowl XXXIII – if the AFL pays them in full, which remains to be seen.
A team source participating in the #AFL Championship says "if the venue is paid, they're still willing to let us play".
Bottom Line: late… https://t.co/3OG3b9Q6uI
— James Larsen (@JamesLarsenPFN) July 17, 2024
League sources tell us that team owners were able to collectively come together on Wednesday, contributing to the positive result with American Dream: the game would go on, as originally planned.
To those who were misled by our previous article, we want to apologize. The alt-football scene is filled with twists and turns, and this situation is an example of exactly that. We reported facts that were accurate at the time, but failed to remain true once the team owners stepped in to accommodate said plans. ArenaBowl XXXIII is now back on track to be played tomorrow, at 5:30pm EST.
After the chaos that transpired within the league the last few days, it’s great to see the positive result from this entire scenario. The AFL successfully had their Media Day today, and league commissioner Jeff Fisher along with Billings Team Owner Steve Titus made multiple media appearances to promote the game.
“AFL Commissioner Jeff Fisher and Billings Outlaws owner Steve Titus joined Boomer & Gio on CBS Sports Network and WFAN this morning! They later stopped by Maggie & Perloff on The Infinity Sports Network to talk about tomorrow night’s Arena Bowl XXXIII! pic.twitter.com/dkCQhmfnF3
— Billings Outlaws (@outlawsafl) July 18, 2024
With the brunt of the storm behind us, it’s time to focus on the Championship game ahead between the Albany Firebirds and Billings Outlaws. It should be a thrilling end to a wild AFL season, and we’re looking forward to seeing what goes down in East Rutherford, NJ.
Are you excited for the ArenaBowl taking place tomorrow? Which team are you rooting for? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!
