Tucson, Arizona granted IFL Expansion Franchise

The mystery of what league Tucson will be getting a team in has finally been solved. On Wednesday August 22nd, 2018 a website launched revealing that the Tucson team would be joining the Indoor Football League (IFL). Previously it was rumored that the Tucson franchise would be joining Champions Indoor Football (CIF). The team website has since been taken down due to the official press conference coming at 1:30pm. The team will start play in the 2019 season at the Tucson Convention Center (TCC) which currently hosts the Tucson Roadrunners of the American Hockey League (AHL).
Tucson will have a built in rivalry with the Arizona Rattlers who play just over an hour and a half north up Interstate 10 at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix. Rattlers head coach Kevin Guy and his wife will be majority owners with minority owners and other details yet to announced. The team will be holding a name the team contest on their website once the official announcement comes at 1:30pm today. Tucson previously flirted with getting an IFL team in 2011, but that fell through due to unknown reasons.
You can be sure this team will be here for the long run with Guy at the helm. In addition to multiple ArenaBowl titles, he coached the Rattlers to a United Bowl title in their first IFL season by knocking off the six time defending champion Sioux Falls Storm. As a head coach Kevin Guy has a 128-45 record. He's also been an assistant coach and general manager, as well as a player. He's been involved in indoor/arena football for a total of 23 years.
For those new to the IFL, the league will have seven teams with the addition of Tucson with more rumored to be joining via expansion or from the CIF. Currently the six other teams are the Sioux Falls Storm, Arizona Rattlers, Nebraska Danger, Green Bay Blizzard, Cedar Rapids Titans, and the defending champion Iowa Barnstormers. One thing to note is that the Cedar Rapids Titans are holding a name the team contest on their website to rebrand the team for 2019. The Titans were sold to new ownership this off-season and will enter this new era with a fresh brand.