36 replies to this topic

[Aporkalypse]

I didn't know where else to put this but NWA's getting a minor league football team.

The NIFL (National Indoor Football League)'s Arkansas Stars will start playing at the indoor track facility next season.  It's an 8 on 8 league in mostly smaller markets, don't know much about it.

[mcheiss]

Aporkalypse, on Dec 15 2005, 02:20 PM, said:

I didn't know where else to put this but NWA's getting a minor league football team.

The NIFL (National Indoor Football League)'s Arkansas Stars will start playing at the indoor track facility next season.  It's an 8 on 8 league in mostly smaller markets, don't know much about it.

Really?

That's great news to hear, but is this a true minor league team?

BTW, where did you hear about this?

[Mith242]

Aporkalypse, on Dec 15 2005, 02:20 PM, said:

I didn't know where else to put this but NWA's getting a minor league football team.

The NIFL (National Indoor Football League)'s Arkansas Stars will start playing at the indoor track facility next season.  It's an 8 on 8 league in mostly smaller markets, don't know much about it.

Thanks for the news Aporkalypse.  I'll have to look more into that league.

[Aporkalypse]

mcheiss, on Dec 15 2005, 02:39 PM, said:

Really?

That's great news to hear, but is this a true minor league team?

BTW, where did you hear about this?

Yes.


"They" told me.

[mcheiss]

Aporkalypse, on Dec 15 2005, 03:03 PM, said:

Yes.
"They" told me.

The NIFL told you?

Also, did this team exist before, or did it just get made?

[Aporkalypse]

mcheiss, on Dec 15 2005, 03:04 PM, said:

The NIFL told you?

Also, did this team exist before, or did it just get made?

No, "they" did.

Nope, it'll be a new team.

[mcheiss]

Aporkalypse, on Dec 15 2005, 03:05 PM, said:

No, "they" did.

Nope, it'll be a new team.

That's great news.

I had the impression that there was a team in Little Rock, and than they decided to come up here.

[Aporkalypse]

mcheiss, on Dec 15 2005, 03:07 PM, said:

That's great news.

I had the impression that there was a team in Little Rock, and than they decided to come up here.

No that's an Arena Football 2 team and their average attendance is about 5 times what the track facility would hold.

[mcheiss]

Aporkalypse, on Dec 15 2005, 03:24 PM, said:

No that's an Arena Football 2 team and their average attendance is about 5 times what the track facility would hold.

I'm still hoping NW Arkansas can get an Arena Football team, but I'll take this Indoor League also.

[Mith242]

mcheiss, on Dec 15 2005, 04:22 PM, said:

I'm still hoping NW Arkansas can get an Arena Football team, but I'll take this Indoor League also.

Yep at this point anything will be nice.

[Aporkalypse]

mcheiss, on Dec 15 2005, 04:22 PM, said:

I'm still hoping NW Arkansas can get an Arena Football team, but I'll take this Indoor League also.

The problem is that there is no off-campus venue where they would be able to play and on-campus arenas are alcohol-free and can't be used because of this (it's a big source of revenue).  Most places play in true arenas but since Tulsa's arenas are all smallish they play in their convention center instead.  A convention center in NWA similar to what Hot Springs has would solve a lot of problems.

It's a shame you can't just transplant Barnhill off-campus.

[Mith242]

Aporkalypse, on Dec 15 2005, 04:26 PM, said:

The problem is that there is no off-campus venue where they would be able to play and on-campus arenas are alcohol-free and can't be used because of this (it's a big source of revenue).  Most places play in true arenas but since Tulsa's arenas are all smallish they play in their convention center instead.  A convention center in NWA similar to what Hot Springs has would solve a lot of problems.

It's a shame you can't just transplant Barnhill off-campus.

Yeah, yet another problem with every city building it's own convention center and competing with each other.

[mcheiss]

Well Hammons is building a 125,000 sq.ft. Convention Center in Rogers that should be open in a few months.

[Mith242]

mcheiss, on Dec 15 2005, 04:50 PM, said:

Well Hammons is building a 125,000 sq.ft. Convention Center in Rogers that should be open in a few months.

Not sure how that will compare to Hot Springs'.  But if everyone wasn't competing with each other you could also put in a pretty big one up here.

[mcheiss]

Mith242, on Dec 15 2005, 04:51 PM, said:

Not sure how that will compare to Hot Springs'.  But if everyone wasn't competing with each other you could also put in a pretty big one up here.

Yeah, I'd like to see a nice 250,000 one up here, but it's just not possible with all the competition.

[Aporkalypse]

Mith242, on Dec 15 2005, 04:51 PM, said:

Not sure how that will compare to Hot Springs'.  But if everyone wasn't competing with each other you could also put in a pretty big one up here.

360,000 SF

The other issue is that to be able to host sporting events the ceilings have to be very high.  The LR Convention Center is built that way and always has been (at one point UALR basketball played there), but most hotel-based meeting rooms aren't.

Hot Springs has the Summit Arena, as well, which means it doesn't really need its convention center to serve that role.  Of course, NWA would do well to have something similar to that arena for concerts, etc the problem is its so redundant with BWA and Barnhill on-campus.

[Mith242]

Looks like we'll be put in the Atlantic conference and not the Pacific conference.  They already have the Arkansas Stars listed under the 'teams' selection of the NIFL website.  There's already a Fayetteville team, Fayetteville NC that is.  I wonder which division we'll be in south or central.  If we're in the central division we'll be competing directly with the other Fayetteville.

Edited by Mith242, 15 December 2005 - 05:31 PM.

[mcheiss]

Mith242, on Dec 15 2005, 05:29 PM, said:

Looks like we'll be put in the Atlantic conference and not the Pacific conference.  They already have the Arkansas Stars listed under the 'teams' selection of the NIFL website.  There's already a Fayetteville team, Fayetteville NC that is.  I wonder which division we'll be in south or central.  If we're in the central division we'll be competing directly with the other Fayetteville.

Wow, we will be playing teams from Miami, Cinncinati, and Dayton.

[Mith242]

Ah, now I need to re-edit this.  Thanks for moving all this over into it's own topic now Matt.

Edited by Mith242, 15 December 2005 - 05:50 PM.

[mcheiss]

^No Problem.

I heard on the news that 7 home games would be played in Fayetteville.