Could Bay Area Panthers Be Oakland Panthers Again? It's Up To Oakland To Bring Indoor Football Back
Could Bay Area Panthers Be Oakland Panthers Again? It's Up To Oakland To Bring Indoor Football Back Two years ago, the Marshawn Lynch and Roi Choy--owned Oakland Panthers looked like they were on their way to a long term relationship with the Oakland Coliseum and a home at the Oakland Arena. But a weird thing happened where the Oakland Panthers could not come to an agreement on a rent price that was affordable to the startup professional sports organization. Meanwhile the owners of the San Jose Arena caled SAP Center, home of the San Jose Sharks and the San Jose Baracuda, came calling with a better deal. So, off went the Panthers to San Jose, and during the same time that the Raiders and Warriors departures were long done-deals, and the A's were just thinking seriously about relocating to Las Vegas. So, the Coliseum found itself without three professional sports teams and one that was on the brink, and now has decided to depart, too. But now, there's a twist. The Bay Area Panthers released a "request for proposals" this week, and according to Bay Area Panthers President Scott McKibben, sent one copy to Oakland. Here's the initial text: Bay Area Panthers Request For Proposal (RFP) Section 1: Background 1. Why the RFP? a. The Panthers have hired PIVOT to assist with a 90-Day RFP with the goal of securing a home market & venue for the foreseeable future. PIVOT and the Panthers are looking for the ideal city/venue partner who shares the goal of aligning with local business partners to create a top-tier experience for families in the respective community. We believe Oakland, San Jose, Sacramento, or Stockton can be that partner for the Panthers. b. PIVOT x Bay Area Panthers RFP Announcement 2. About the Bay Area Panthers a. The Bay Area Panthers are an IFL expansion team co-founded by retired NFL superstar Marshawn Lynch and Roy Choi, Managing Partner of Knighted Ventures. The Panthers were initially slated to play in Oakland when Lynch and Choi announced their plans for an Indoor Football League (IFL) expansion team in 2019. However, following the cancellation of the 2020 season due to the pandemic and the subsequent withdrawal from the 2021 season, the Panthers changed venues to the SAP Center for their 2022 and 2023 seasons. b. Ownership Group i. Roy Choi - Managing Partner, Knighted Ventures ii. Marshawn Lynch – NFL Legend c. On the Field i. Through 14 games in the 2023 IFL Season, the Panthers are second in the Western Conference with a 9-5 record. The Panthers set a new record for points in a game of 75 in their 14th game, cruising to a 35-point win and securing a first-round home playoff game. They have been among the most exciting teams in the league with a top-five offense and defense. d. About The IFL i. The Indoor Football League is America’s longest continuously-running indoor football league and began its 15th consecutive season of play in 2023. The IFL began play in 2009 following a merger between the United Indoor Football League and the Intense Football League. It is the second-longest running professional football league in the U.S., with the NFL being the longest-running. The IFL is the undisputed leader amongprofessional indoor football leagues worldwide, featuring the world’s best indoor football players and coaches. The IFL is the highest-paying indoor football league and more than 125 players from the IFL have signed contracts with NFL or CFL teams, by far the most among any indoor football league. The IFL offers a unique product, playing on a 50-yard field with padded dasher boards surrounding the field. The game play has 8 players on offense, two of which can be in motion at the snap, and 8 players on defense. ii. National Footprint: The IFL is the largest and most prominent indoor football league in the nation. There are currently 16 teams in the IFL, with 14 of those teams playing in 2023, and additional expansion is expected in the coming years. Eight of the 16 teams are in the top 50 media markets. 3. RFP Details a. Timeline i. Friday, 7/14 – RFP Shared with Select Markets ii. Friday 7/21 – RFP Questions Submitted iii. Wednesday, 7/26 - Answers Provided iv. Monday 8/14 – City/Venue Submissions Due v. Monday, 8/21 – Calls with potential Venue partner Friday, 9/1 - Final Proposal and Questions Reviewed vii. Friday, 9/8 - Venue/City Decision Made b. Indoor Football League field dimensions i. CAD Dimensions - See Attached c. IFL Schedule i. IFL Season starts late March 2024 and ends July 2024 ii. Each team will have 8-10 home games iii. Exact dates will be confirmed in October 2023 More at ZennieReport.com:
via YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPU9Rbgj2AA
Could Bay Area Panthers Be Oakland Panthers Again? It's Up To Oakland To Bring Indoor Football Back Two years ago, the Marshawn Lynch and Roi Choy--owned Oakland Panthers looked like they were on their way to a long term relationship with the Oakland Coliseum and a home at the Oakland Arena. But a weird thing happened where the Oakland Panthers could not come to an agreement on a rent price that was affordable to the startup professional sports organization. Meanwhile the owners of the San Jose Arena caled SAP Center, home of the San Jose Sharks and the San Jose Baracuda, came calling with a better deal. So, off went the Panthers to San Jose, and during the same time that the Raiders and Warriors departures were long done-deals, and the A's were just thinking seriously about relocating to Las Vegas. So, the Coliseum found itself without three professional sports teams and one that was on the brink, and now has decided to depart, too. But now, there's a twist. The Bay Area Panthers released a "request for proposals" this week, and according to Bay Area Panthers President Scott McKibben, sent one copy to Oakland. Here's the initial text: Bay Area Panthers Request For Proposal (RFP) Section 1: Background 1. Why the RFP? a. The Panthers have hired PIVOT to assist with a 90-Day RFP with the goal of securing a home market & venue for the foreseeable future. PIVOT and the Panthers are looking for the ideal city/venue partner who shares the goal of aligning with local business partners to create a top-tier experience for families in the respective community. We believe Oakland, San Jose, Sacramento, or Stockton can be that partner for the Panthers. b. PIVOT x Bay Area Panthers RFP Announcement 2. About the Bay Area Panthers a. The Bay Area Panthers are an IFL expansion team co-founded by retired NFL superstar Marshawn Lynch and Roy Choi, Managing Partner of Knighted Ventures. The Panthers were initially slated to play in Oakland when Lynch and Choi announced their plans for an Indoor Football League (IFL) expansion team in 2019. However, following the cancellation of the 2020 season due to the pandemic and the subsequent withdrawal from the 2021 season, the Panthers changed venues to the SAP Center for their 2022 and 2023 seasons. b. Ownership Group i. Roy Choi - Managing Partner, Knighted Ventures ii. Marshawn Lynch – NFL Legend c. On the Field i. Through 14 games in the 2023 IFL Season, the Panthers are second in the Western Conference with a 9-5 record. The Panthers set a new record for points in a game of 75 in their 14th game, cruising to a 35-point win and securing a first-round home playoff game. They have been among the most exciting teams in the league with a top-five offense and defense. d. About The IFL i. The Indoor Football League is America’s longest continuously-running indoor football league and began its 15th consecutive season of play in 2023. The IFL began play in 2009 following a merger between the United Indoor Football League and the Intense Football League. It is the second-longest running professional football league in the U.S., with the NFL being the longest-running. The IFL is the undisputed leader amongprofessional indoor football leagues worldwide, featuring the world’s best indoor football players and coaches. The IFL is the highest-paying indoor football league and more than 125 players from the IFL have signed contracts with NFL or CFL teams, by far the most among any indoor football league. The IFL offers a unique product, playing on a 50-yard field with padded dasher boards surrounding the field. The game play has 8 players on offense, two of which can be in motion at the snap, and 8 players on defense. ii. National Footprint: The IFL is the largest and most prominent indoor football league in the nation. There are currently 16 teams in the IFL, with 14 of those teams playing in 2023, and additional expansion is expected in the coming years. Eight of the 16 teams are in the top 50 media markets. 3. RFP Details a. Timeline i. Friday, 7/14 – RFP Shared with Select Markets ii. Friday 7/21 – RFP Questions Submitted iii. Wednesday, 7/26 - Answers Provided iv. Monday 8/14 – City/Venue Submissions Due v. Monday, 8/21 – Calls with potential Venue partner Friday, 9/1 - Final Proposal and Questions Reviewed vii. Friday, 9/8 - Venue/City Decision Made b. Indoor Football League field dimensions i. CAD Dimensions - See Attached c. IFL Schedule i. IFL Season starts late March 2024 and ends July 2024 ii. Each team will have 8-10 home games iii. Exact dates will be confirmed in October 2023 More at ZennieReport.com:
via YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPU9Rbgj2AA
Comments