Athens takes on football venture beyond the Georgia Bulldogs. Will it work?
ATHENS — In this city shaped for generations by University of Georgia football and a music scene that launched bands like R.E.M. and the B-52s, professional sports franchises now see opportunity.
A large downtown arena that opened in late 2024 has already landed a fast-rising hockey franchise and now an indoor football team backed by former professional athletes.
The sudden wave of investment is testing whether a college town long defined by the Bulldogs can support professional sports long-term.
David Pollack says it will. The former Georgia football star is part of the ownership group launching the indoor football startup.
“It’s a sport-crazy area, and everybody wants to attend sporting events,” Pollack said. “Listen, I’d be lying if I didn’t say you have to entertain people too, though.”
Still, whether that demand extends beyond college football season and holds for multiple franchises remains unproven.
An event Thursday downtown at the Akins Ford Arena to officially announce the pro indoor football franchise provided a glimpse of what is to come.
A Michael Jackson tribute artist kicked off the show. An Elvis Presley impersonator made an appearance, and team president Mike Sammond joked the name will be the Georgia Bullfrogs (fans are invited to submit their ideas for a team name).
Between quips and performances, investors including Pollack, NFL Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis and former Atlanta Braves and Falcons standout Brian Jordan talked about winning championships. Former Georgia football coach Mark Richt said he’ll support anything involving Pollack, his former player.
“If David Pollack asks me to do anything, almost anything within reason, I’ll be there,” Richt said.
Athens will be the 15th team in the Indoor Football League and will begin play in the spring of 2027. The league started in 2008 and has franchises in major cities including San Antonio and Orlando and suburban markets like Fishers, Indiana (Indianapolis), and Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin (Green Bay).
A balancing act blueprint has already taken shape in Athens: a winning team paired with nonstop promotion.
The Athens Rock Lobsters hockey franchise has carved out its place, increasing average attendance by 22% last season to roughly 4,500 fans per game while finishing near the top of the standings in back-to-back seasons.
Home games often feature themes, including Star Wars, NASCAR, Military Appreciation and Stick It To Cancer.
Breaks between periods feature police dogs chasing faux bad guys and foam-puck tosses for cash prizes.
The team announced last week it is moving up to the SPHL, formerly the Southern Professional Hockey League, next season from the Federal Prospects Hockey League.
Sammond said the hockey team proved Athens could support professional sports. Then he mentioned another Georgia sports brand the indoor football team will follow.
“We want Savannah Bananas-type energy,” Sammond said.
That’s a nod to the Georgia-based team that has reshaped how baseball is played and marketed in recent years, drawing millions of spectators.
Bettis, who played 13 seasons in the NFL, called indoor football “a version of the sport on steroids” that should complement the traditional games played by the Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium.
Each team plays with eight players on a 50-yard field with padded walls. There is no out of bounds and no punting.
Seasons begin in March and run into August, a schedule that would largely avoiding overlap with UGA athletics and hockey season.
Pollack said he is constantly hearing from players inquiring about joining the team, which will hold tryouts later this year. And yes, Pollack confirmed, there will be an aggressive push to sign former Georgia Bulldogs.
“There’s only 32 NFL teams,” Pollack said. “There’s a lot of freaking good football players.”
To Bettis, the larger opportunity is building an independent sports identity.
“Athens is not just a town north of Atlanta,” Bettis said. “It doesn’t have to be part of the Falcons or the Braves. It can support its own fanbase.”
About the Author
Fletcher Page is Athens bureau chief covering northeast Georgia for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
