AFL will cease operations (Arena Football League)

Source: ESPN

The Arena Football League soon will announce that it is folding, multiple media outlets reported Monday.

A league source told ESPN that the AFL is "suspending operations indefinitely," and an official announcement was forthcoming.

Arizona Rattlers owner Brett Bouchy said the league will also declare bankruptcy, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

"It's just unfortunate we're in this situation," Bouchy said, according to the newspaper. "Everyone knows myself and Arizona fought hard to avoid this day. The league was divided into two groups and factions. You had one group of committed owners who contributed capital and willing to do whatever it took to bring the league back in 2010. I have been in that group the entire time. Then there was another group that just wasn't willing to make the investment. We could never get a consensus."

Tampa Bay Storm owner Jim Borghesi posted a message on his Facebook page, saying: "The AFL will be having a press conference to announce that the league will not be returning," according to the Albany Times-Union.

Read more: http://sports.espn.go.com/extra/afl/news/story?id=4375473

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Sad to hear it.

A lot of these folks might find a home there.

:shrug:

much longer than people could have expected from "other" leagues...I guess once NBC stopped broadcasting and ESPN started putting them in afterthought timeslots, the die was cast...The news of a new, 'conventional'-style football league hasn't helped, either...

I just thought they would keep surviving...in the past, they had made it through worse times than this...

The AFL's 'cancelled season' always sounded like the last nail in the coffin to me.

nt