Fishers Indoor Football League
The city of Fishers is set to become a football city with the founding of a new professional team in 2025.
The yet-to-be-named team will participate in the Indoor Football League, with home matches planned to take place at the Fishers Event Center, currently under construction, starting March 2025.
The team falls under the ownership of Jim Hallett, through the holding company, Indiana Football Club LLC. Hallett also owns the Indy Fuel, a minor league hockey franchise. The new Fishers football team will share administrative functions with the Fuel, which is anticipated to begin playing at the 8,500-seat sports and entertainment venue by the end of 2024.
The official moniker and logo for the Fishers football team are yet to be decided and will be announced at a future date.
Hallett voiced his excitement about the new endeavor, stating, “The forthcoming event center in Fishers is poised to become a key hub for sports and entertainment. I am thrilled to provide another affordable and enjoyable experience for families in our city.”
Joining the IFL as the 17th team, the Fishers football team contributes to the longest continuously operating indoor football league in the United States, which has been active since 2009.
The IFL’s franchise roster consists of teams from various cities including San Antonio, Las Vegas, Green Bay, Jacksonville, and Tulsa, among others. Each IFL team plays a 16-game regular season, split evenly between home and away games.
Indoor football has several unique characteristics compared to traditional football, including the number of players on the field per team, field length, and the dimensions of the goalposts. Other differences include scoring rules, out-of-bounds catches, and pre-snap movement on offense.
Todd Tyron, the IFL commissioner, expressed his enthusiasm, “Our product is unique and fills a gap during a slower period in the sports calendar. Our primary aim is to draw families into the arena. We plan to throw a big party and at some point, a football game is going to break out.”
Larry McQueary, president of the Indy Fuel and the new Fishers football team, believes the franchise won’t compete with the Colts for fans. Instead, it will cater to what he perceives as “a growing appetite” for football throughout Central Indiana, including in Fishers.
McQueary also noted that while many sponsorship slots have been filled for the Fishers Event Center, the new team will offer additional marketing opportunities for potential sponsors. He also hinted at exploring innovative ways to enhance the fan experience, such as a non-green field, which is permissible in the IFL.
To secure a spot in the league, Hallett had to pay a franchise fee and demonstrate financial stability to the league’s board of directors. The fee amount was not disclosed, but a 2020 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission suggested the cost was substantial.
All IFL players receive a payment per game, with travel expenses, meals, and some in-season housing covered by the team.
Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness expressed his optimism about the city and the region embracing the new team. “Since the early plans of the Fishers Event Center, our goal has been to create a place that brings the community, families, and entertainment enthusiasts together,” Fadness said. “With today’s announcement, we’re excited to bring some of that vision to life and we are thrilled to support our new team in the Indoor Football League.”
This will mark the first significant indoor football franchise in Central Indiana since the Indiana Firebirds of the Arena Football League ceased operations in 2004. The region has had other brief experiences with indoor football, including the Indianapolis Stampede and the Indianapolis Enforcers, which played intermittently from 2011 to 2022.
Reservations for season tickets for the Fishers football team in the Indoor Football League are now open.
