December 10, 2009 – After a one-year absence, the game of Arena Football is returning in 2010 and the city of Chicago will be home to one of the teams playing in the new Arena Football One league, it was announced today at a press conference at Mike Ditka’s restaurant in Chicago.
The new Chicago franchise is owned by Chicago Gridiron, LLC., a group of Chicago-based investors led by managing partner William Niro, one of the original founders of the Arena Football League, and including Dr. Ciro Cirrincione.
As a way to honor the great tradition of Arena Football in Chicago, the group has chosen to name the team the Rush and play its games at Allstate Arena.
“It is hard for me to express how excited I am about the Arena Football One league and our ownership of the new team here in Chicago,” said Niro. “As someone who witnessed the original AFL grow from its’ infancy to a successful sports league which entertained millions of fans each year, it broke my heart to witness the events of the last 12 months.
“Now that we have a new league, it is my goal to provide great sports entertainment to our fan base for many years to come.”
The new team’s office will be located at 920 W. Golf Road in Schaumburg. Along with the new location, the Rush will have a new phone number – (847) 882-9400 – and a new Web address – www.arenarush.com.
While the 2010 version of the Chicago Rush is a new team playing in a new league, many of the tenants of the original team will remain, including the team’s unwavering commitment to provide quality, affordable sports entertainment for the entire family.
As part of that commitment, Chicago Gridiron has hired Mike Hohensee as its head coach. Hohensee coached the first Rush team from 2001-2008, posting a 83-57 overall record and leading the Rush to four Central Division titles and the 2006 ArenaBowl championship.
“I can’t wait to kick off in April,” said Hohensee. “Arena Football is in my blood. I fell in love with the game as a player nearly 25 years ago and have been involved in the sport ever since. No city in the country is as passionate about the game as the fans here in Chicago, and I am going to do my best to bring another championship to this great city.”
Joining Hohensee will be newly named team president Ken Valdiserri, a former long-time front office executive of the Chicago Bears (1984-2000) and White Sox (1980-83). Recently, Valdiserri has served as the president of Mike Ditka’s charitable organization, the Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund, which provides medical grants and pro bono medical assistance to retired NFL players in need.
The creation of Arena Football One was made possible through the efforts of a group of former AFL and af2 owners. After the Arena Football League declared bankruptcy earlier this year, those owners came together to form the new league. Then, Arena Football 1 purchased the assets of the Arena Football League – including the rights to the the names and logos of the individual teams – through a bankruptcy court-mandated auction.
Chicago Rush season and group tickets are on sale immediately, with season ticket prices beginning as low as $64 per ticket. Tickets may be purchased by calling the Rush office at (847) 882-9400 or visiting the team’s new Web site at www.arenarush.com. Fans who held season tickets to the previous Rush team will be given the opportunity to reserve their same season ticket locations, but must call the ticket office as soon as possible to secure those seats.
