The Everett Events Center is being courted by another possible tenant.
That is, if Snohomish County is ready for some football.
The National Indoor Football League (NIFL) is considering expansion in the Pacific Northwest, and a local ownership group headed by National Football League player Sam Adams is hoping that the Events Center will serve as host.
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The city of Everett is being courted by the National Indoor Football League, which hopes to bring a franchise here by the time its 2005 season opens next March. Here are some facts about the NIFL:
Year started: 2000 Number of teams: 25 (six divisions) Season: 17 weeks, from March through the beginning of July Coolest names: Atlantic City Cardsharks, Omaha Beef, Tupelo FireAnts, Show Me Believers (St. Charles, Mo.) Field: 50 yards long; 28 yards wide Rules: Typical football rules, except it’s played indoors with hockey-like boards surrounding the field. Website: www.nationalindoorfootballleague.net |
The Kirkland-based ownership group already has a name picked out for the team – the Everett Hawks – and is waiting for approval from the Events Center.
“We are still in discussions. We haven’t made any decisions,” said Kim Bedier, general manager of the Events Center. “We’re looking at next year, but nothing is final yet. We’re still talking.”
Spokespeople for the ownership group were unavailable for comment Monday afternoon, although they did send out a press release announcing that discussions have taken place. Adams is on the East Coast, where he is practicing with the Buffalo Bills.
Everett and Dayton, Ohio, were named as possible expansion sites by the league.
Part of the possible NIFL expansion could be contingent on other Pacific Northwest communities – the Tri-Cities and Boise, Idaho, are two possibilities – adding franchises. The 25-team NIFL currently includes teams in Wyoming, Utah, Nebraska and Montana, but nothing on the West Coast.
“Everett, Wash., is a strong sports market with minor league baseball and junior hockey,” NIFL president Carolyn Shiver said in a statement released through the ownership group. “With a sports base already in place, we expect the Everett market to respond well and support our brand of indoor football.”
The NIFL has been around since 2000, with teams all over the country. Rules are similar to the Arena Football League, although it’s not as well-known nationally.
Bedier, the Events Center general manager, said that there was no way to predict what kind of crowds a team could expect should it play in Everett’s 8,250-seat arena.
“That’s the crystal ball part of the equation,” Bedier said. “Some teams get crowds of four, five and six thousand, while others get 1,500 to 1,800. There’s a certain novelty value at first, but you have to look at the long-term interest.”
Part of the attraction for Everett adding an NIFL team is that its season, from March through July, runs when the WHL’s Silvertips are in their offseason.
“We need to have confidence that: A, it’s good for the building, and B, it’s good financially,” Bedier said, adding that the Events Center hopes to make a decision within the next two months.
The Events Center has already been courted by two professional basketball leagues: the American Basketball Association and the Continental Basketball Association. Neither league has been able to conclude negotiations with the arena.
“Basketball went pretty far, then football picked up,” said Eric Blankenship, a spokesperson for the Events Center. “Basketball had a head start, but has quieted down.”
The Everett Events Center, a $71.5 million facility that opened last October, hosts the Silvertips, concerts and numerous other events. It has courted professional sports franchises in the past, but still counts the Silvertips as its only team.
The Seattle Storm of the WNBA considered moving north, but opted to re-sign with Key Arena. ArenaFootball2 was considered a possibility, but has been unable to find other communities in the Pacific Northwest that were willing to take in expansion teams. And the ABA and CBA are still jostling to land a team in Everett, according to Blankenship.
Now the NIFL is the latest league to put Everett in its sights. The question is whether Everett is willing to open its arms to the NIFL.
“We need to research all possible partnerships,” Bedier said. “We have such a good partnership with the Silvertips that it’s set a high benchmark.”
Herald reporter Jennifer Warnick contributed to this story.
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