arenafootball2 - Lafayette
Lafayette (LA) Getting New Franchise
By BOBBY ARDOIN
Special to The Advocate
LAFAYETTE -- An arenafootball2 franchise has been
unanimously approved for Lafayette by league officials,
said Dave Berryman, the president of an ownership group
that will operate the team.
Berryman said af2 league owners approved Wednesday
the relocation of the Billings, Mont., franchise to
Lafayette for the 2003 season.
Approval for the relocation also came Thursday by
Arena Football League owners, Berryman said.
Berryman is president and CEO of Orlando Predators
Entertainment, which also owns the AFL Orlando Predators
in addition to af2 teams in Peoria and Green Bay.
Lafayette had an af2 franchise last year, but the
Lafayette Roughnecks ceased operations several months
after the 2002 campaign because of financial
difficulties.
Berryman said he will announce the Lafayette team's
mascot at a later date, but added that it won't be the
Roughnecks.
At least six individuals have expressed an interest
in coaching the Lafayette team in 2003 and Berryman said
he is conducting interviews for the position.
"I have a least half a dozen in mind and all of them
are men who will bring a winning af2 franchise to
Lafayette," he said.
In another matter related to minor league sports in
Lafayette, Berryman said the East Coast Hockey League is
expected to approve on Monday the sale of the Louisiana
IceGators to Orlando Predators Entertainment.
Louisiana's current ownership, Entertainment
Ventures, Inc., has been seeking to sell the IceGators
for the past several months.
Berryman said the only obstacle remaining for
completion of the sale to OPE is ECHL approval.
He said the IceGators are planning a Tuesday night
event at the Cajundome to celebrate the sale of the team
to the OPE group, which will operate the hockey and af2
franchises from the same office.
Lafayette's af2 team will have its kickoff campaign
in September, said Berryman.
This article was taken from
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