A new professional football team is coming to Monroe this summer. No, no NFL team is moving there; not even a UFL team. Rather, the city is getting a team in The Arena League. League owner Jeff Holmes says the league is adding the team for its third season.
“We launched in 2024 with four teams, primarily in the upper Midwest. We have now expanded to 18, going into year three, including Monroe, Louisiana,” Holmes said.
Holmes, who also owns the Iowa Woo, says The Arena League plays a unique brand of indoor football, including seven players on the field per side. And despite the name of the sport, there is no kicking.
“We go for it on fourth down. We do a throw-off instead of a kickoff, which allows us to pinpoint where the other team might receive the ball,” Holmes explained.
The new Monroe team will play its games at the Monroe Civic Center, and Holmes says the games will feature some exciting entertainment to go along with the exciting football action.
“We’ll have some America’s Got Talent acts that will come through at halftime. We will also engage with some online sensations and things of that nature,” Holmes said.
The league is holding a name the team contest for Monroe’s newest professional sports franchise.
