AFL -- Arena Football League

Its Popularity Is Skyrocketing

June 17, 2003

by Freda Parker
renderings by Rick Crandall

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Players crashing into each other and into and over sideline barriers; a football airborne for a seemingly impossible distance; sometimes cheering, sometimes jeering fans; twenty-five gorgeous dancing girls; colorful fireworks; an acrobatic Coyote mascot; music -- combine all of those and what do you have? Why it's an Arena Football game -- an exciting, indoor version of American football whose two leagues and fan base continue growing.

William Niro, president of Gridiron Enterprises, Inc., a Chicago-based sports marketing and consulting firm, said, "Awareness of arena football has really skyrocketed. Television broadcasts have added millions of fans.

"Just this past weekend (May 3/4, 2003) 1.3 million attended AFL games -- just AFL, not AF2," Niro continued. "AF2 is really helping build the fan base because it's taking the game into smaller markets."

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He explained that while the AFL is arena football's primary league, "AF2 is like triple baseball. We don't like to use the term minor league. We like to say that AF2 is a developmental league, and it's doing quite well because you have a lot of smaller towns that can house AF2, but don't have the seating configurations that would allow them to be in the AFL." Currently, the AFL has 16 teams, while the rapidly growing AF2 has 27.

By 1990, Arena Football's acceptance by American football enthusiasts inspired James Foster, the NFL marketing veteran who invented and holds the patent for this sport, to organize Gridiron Enterprises. Its major goal is spreading the AFL gospel worldwide. Niro said, "The game is here to stay and getting bigger each year." That conviction has Gridiron consulting with large and small cities and private owner groups in America, Europe, Australia and Mexico. In the future Gridiron plans to do similar consulting with universities and colleges. "That's always been a strong desire," Niro said. "I think it would be ideal for a number of universities because of the much smaller roster size (20 active players and 4 reserves). That cuts down expenses right there.

"At one time," Niro added, "forty percent of sport fans followed arena football. We now have 70 percent and that's growing."

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Kevin Rinker is the AFL's vice president of operations. He said, "For the first time ever we are now on NBC network. That's four games each weekend, so we're talking about 70 plus network games. That is more than the NBA and the NHL have combined on network TV. The fan base has exploded. Fan loyalty to arena football is only second to NASCAR in pro sports. Sponsorships are up. Revenue is up. So, right now in our seventeenth season, everything points to growth."

Arena Football in a Monolithic Dome or Crenosphere

David South, Monolithic's president, also thinks arena football's popularity will continue growing. "And," he said, "the Monolithic Dome or Crenosphere, depending on how much seating you want, is the perfect structure for it."

Monolithic Dome and Crenosphere Advantages:

Significantly Lower Construction Costs

Construction costs for a Monolithic Dome or Crenosphere, its super-size cousin, make an indoor sports arena more affordable for large and small communities, private owner groups, universities, colleges and high schools.

Interior and Exterior Design Flexibility

The materials and process used in the construction of Monolithic Domes and Crenospheres provide high ceilings and wide open interiors, uninterrupted by supporting columns. For arena football and other indoor sports that means clear sight lines. Kevin Rinker travels to two or three different arenas each week and he "really likes clear sight lines." He said, "Every seat in an arena should have a clear view of the action. That's so important in arena football because the game is fast, so you really have to have clear sight lines that bring the fans close to the game."

Rinker also likes center score boards mounted onto high ceilings. "In our game," he said, "the building's ceiling has to be tall enough to play a role, but not interfere.

"I would build an arena that is very fan-friendly from the standpoint that there's not a lot of distance between the fans and the action," Rinker continued. "Physically, we prefer the seats to be right against the wall, like a hockey configuration -- that same concept. We want our fans right there."

Multipurpose -- Not Just Arena Football

"To be financially successful a community arena must be multipurpose," said David South.

Both Niro and Rinker agree. Niro cited the Mark Quad Cities, built along the Mississippi on the border of Iowa and Illinois, as such a facility. In addition to arena football, the Mark Quad hosts hockey, basketball, boxing, wrestling and gymnastics, as well as concerts, Broadway shows and family entertainment.

"But for Monolithic Domes and Crenospheres multipurpose means more than a variety of sports" said South. "It means having an arena or a school gymnasium that instantly and automatically becomes a shelter when natural disasters strike. In other words, that same school gym in which our kids play arena football or any other sport can protect them from a tornado or hurricane."

Lower Operating Costs -- Energy, Maintenance, Insurance

Their thermal mass and polyurethane foam insulation make Monolithic Domes and Crenospheres very energy efficient. They are easily maintained and because the concrete dome shells cannot burn their insurance premiums are lower. For the AFL such factors are important. Rinker said that AFL teams lease a facility on an event-by-event basis. "So they are impacted by operating costs. If the cost of heating or cooling a building or insurance rises that increase gets passed on." Since teams usually are not tied to a particular venue, there have been cases of teams moving to other arenas that charged less. Rinker said, "The Atlanta team played in Phillips Arena last year and, after one season, moved to the new Gwinnett Center because costs were considerably cheaper. And the Dallas Desperadoes moved from the American Airlines Center to Reunion Arena because of economics."

Arena Football in the Olympics?

Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys and the Dallas Desperadoes, has said that if football ever becomes an Olympic competition, it will be arena football. "Why not?" asked William Niro. "I think it's better suited. This is a game that could someday be an Olympic sport. I don't think the outdoor game will ever be." Kevin Rinker agrees and so does David South.

AFL -- Arena Football League

Its Popularity Is Skyrocketing

Arena Football in a Monolithic Dome or Crenosphere

Monolithic Dome and Crenosphere Advantages:

Arena Football in the Olympics?

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