By TONY TAGLAVORE, Journal Sports
Could arena football be coming back to Bossier City next year?
Probably not, but the Shreveport-Bossier Journal has learned there have been talks between management of Brookshire Grocery Arena, and the Arena Football League (AFL).
The AFL has been dormant since its 2019 season but is planning a comeback in 2024.
“ASM Global, the management company for Brookshire Grocery Arena, has been in discussions with the Arena Football League about having a team here in Bossier City,” Brookshire Grocery Arena General Manager Becky Bonnevier told the Journal Monday. “However, it is not likely that this will happen in 2024.”
The reason there is more pessimism than optimism is the lack of days the arena is available.
“They’re looking for weekend dates in the first and second quarters,” she said, “and most of those dates are already booked in 2024.”
Last week, the AFL announced plans to have 16 teams located throughout the country. One of those teams was announced as “Louisiana.” Following that news, TMZ Sports reported that the Louisiana team would be located in Lake Charles. However, the NBC affiliate there, KPLC-TV, quoted a statement from city officials which said Lake Charles “has not been involved in any serious discussions regarding the AFL’s interest in locating a team in the city.”
Bossier City was home to the relatively popular Battle Wings from 2001-2010. For all but the final year, the Battle Wings competed in arenafootball2 (AF2), which was part of the AFL, and consisted of teams in smaller markets.
Arena football is played on a 50-yard field, where it’s not uncommon for teams to routinely score 60 or 70 points each.
Contact Tony at SBJTonyT@gmail.com
