The AFL Ship Is Sinking

Several hours before Week 2 of the restarted Arena Football League season began with a Thursday night matchup at MVP Arena between the Albany Firebirds and Nashville Kats, the Iowa Rampage announced it was dropping out of the league   But hours later, in a bizarre twist, the Rampage’s opponent — the Southwest Kansas Storm — said the Week 2 game between the teams would still be played.”

After today’s breaking news of the Iowa Rampage ownership folding, a cooperative relationship between the Southwest Kansas Storm ownership group and the Arena Football League ownership are allowing this week’s game to be played as originally scheduled,” reads a statement, in part, posted on social media from the Storm. “This agreement allows the current Iowa Rampage roster to travel to Southwest Kansas for Saturday’s game.”

Before that, the Rampage announced Thursday afternoon that it would “discontinue operations immediately,” alleging that the league had not made good on promises of monetary support for player salaries, equipment and travel. Those accusations came after some aspects of the league’s first week of play were the subject of criticism, and amid reports that the AFL won’t have any games this season on the NFL Network as promised back in March.

“Amidst ongoing discussions concerning the stability and future of the Arena Football League (AFL), the Rapid City Marshals acknowledge the complexities that have emerged, including ceasing of operations of fellow AFL team the Iowa Rampage along with the inability for the league (AFL) to meet their financial obligations promised to the Rapid City Marshals. However, the Marshals remain resolute in their dedication to upholding the highest standards of professionalism and integrity, with the hopes of the continuation of football operations,” reads part of the Marshals’ statement.

Firebirds co-owner Mike Kwarta acknowledged before the season started that there were some “bumpy” elements to getting the new 16-team league started. On Thursday, team president Jeff Levack said that different franchises had different arrangements with the league, but he pushed back against the Rampage’s accusations that Hutton and the AFL had not delivered for franchises, saying, for example, that the league had provided uniforms for the teams and had helped the Firebirds with things such as “deals for our pads.”

“The AFL’s been nothing but up front with me,” Levack said. “If something’s late or something’s right, wrong or indifferent, they’ve told me the truth — and, a lot of them, I didn’t want to hear. So it doesn’t make any sense to me that they would be the ones not honoring something.”

But that’s what the Rampage’s news release alleged. The team’s statement said the AFL “made promises to us” before the season started regarding funds and help that weren’t kept.