By Michael Heilman
A month after Columbus, OH, lost the Columbus Destroyers for the second time due to the Arena Football League ceasing operations on November 27th, Columbus will field a team in the Indoor Football League in 2021 and will play at the Nationwide Arena.
The new owners of the Columbus franchise will be the Germain family led by Steve Germain, along with his wife Kim Germain and their children Jessica, Austin, and Zach. The Germain family owns Germain Automotive Group, a privately owned dealership group, and the newly IFL expansion team Frisco Fighters.
But that wasn’t all Germain announced. The Germain family acquired exclusive rights to the IFL business operations. This includes full control of national and international broadcast rights, IFL digital streaming fights, licensing, sponsorship, and advertising assets associated with the league from a new IFL extension office in Columbus.
Steven Germain explained why it was essential to bring football back to Columbus saying, “When the Destroyers returned last year, we were all in, and it was a sad day when the AFL announced it was shutting down, which was the second time that happened through no fault of our loyal fans.” Germain now wants to focus on growing the indoor game, adding, “Now, with the acquisitions we have made, we are in a position to build and grow the indoor game in a meaningful way.”
The last announcement was that former Ohio State wide receiver Bobby Olive will be the Head Coach of the Columbus franchise. He was drafted in the eleventh round of the 1991 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. After Kansas City, Olive would go on to play for the Indianapolis Colts and the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Olive also played in the Arena Football League for the Buffalo Destroyers, who became the Columbus Destroyers, and the Carolina Cobras.
IFL Commissioner Todd Tryon on the addition of Columbus, said, “This is a great day for the IFL, a great day for Columbus and a great day for indoor football fans in Central Ohio and across the country.”
With Columbus on board for 2021 and the Germain family acquiring exclusive rights to the IFL business operations. It will be interesting to see where the IFL goes from here.
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