Athens Crush
| Athens Crush | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| General information | |||
| Founded | 2026 | ||
| Headquartered | Athens, Georgia at Akins Ford Arena | ||
| Colors | Red, White, Gray, Midnight Blue | ||
| Website | www.AthensCrush.com | ||
| Personnel | |||
| Owners | Athens Sports Entertainment, LLC Jerome Bettis David Pollack Brian Jordan | ||
| Head coach | Rob Keefe | ||
| Home fields | |||
| |||
| League / conference affiliations | |||
| Indoor Football League (2027–present) | |||
The Athens Crush are a professional indoor football team based in Athens, Georgia, that will compete in the Indoor Football League (IFL). The Crush will begin play in the 2027 season as an expansion team and will play their home games at Akins Ford Arena.[1]
History
[edit]In May 2026, the Classic Center and Akins Ford Arena announced that Athens had been awarded an Indoor Football League (IFL) expansion franchise, to be owned by a group including Jerome Bettis, David Pollack, and Brian Jordan.[2][3] On May 21, 2026, the IFL held a press conference at Akins Ford Arena to officially announce the new team in Athens.[4][5] The team became the first IFL franchise in the state of Georgia.[6]
On June 26, 2026, the team announced Rob Keefe as its first head coach.[7] On July 2, the team announced the four finalists for its nickname, allowing fans to vote for their preferred choice on the team's website. The finalists were Bullfrogs, Crush, Hedgehawgs, and Panic.[8]
On August 26, 2026, the Crush unveiled their team name, logo and color scheme.[9] In addition to representing energy, toughness and excitement, the name acknowledges the city's rich music heritage with a nod to one of the most popular songs to ever come out of Athens, "Orange Crush" by R.E.M.[10] The team's logo, a capital A being crushed by a dinosaur claw, features the state of Georgia in the middle, as well as the iconic Athens/UGA Arch and a pair of musical notes hidden within the cracks.[11][12]
References
[edit]- ↑ Martinez, Courtney (May 1, 2026). "David Pollack, Brian Jordan and Jerome Bettis to own new indoor football team in Athens". WSB-TV Channel 2 - Atlanta. Retrieved May 23, 2026.
- ↑ "Athens is getting a pro indoor football team, co-owned by UGA great". ajc. Retrieved May 23, 2026.
- ↑ Kule, Ben (May 5, 2026). "Athens, Akins Ford Arena to introduce Indoor Football League franchise". The Red & Black. Retrieved May 23, 2026.
- ↑ Ford, Wayne. "Athens to host professional summer football team in 2027". Online Athens. Retrieved May 23, 2026.
- ↑ Bryan, Mary Beth (May 20, 2026). "Calendar Pick: Athens Football Kickoff Celebration". Flagpole. Retrieved May 23, 2026.
- ↑ "Athens takes on football venture beyond the Georgia Bulldogs. Will it work?". ajc. Retrieved May 23, 2026.
- ↑ Quimby, Kaylen (June 27, 2026). "Seven-time champion Rob Keefe named Athens IFL team's head coach". The Red & Black. Retrieved July 8, 2026.
- ↑ Torres, Marin (July 1, 2026). "Athens Indoor Football reveals team name finalists". The Red & Black. Retrieved July 8, 2026.
- ↑ Martinez, Courtney (August 26, 2026). "Athens' new Indoor Football League team unveils name, logo". WSB-TV. Retrieved August 26, 2026.
- ↑ "Athens indoor football team unveils new logo, mascot ahead of 2027 season". www.atlantanewsfirst.com. August 26, 2026. Retrieved September 1, 2026.
- ↑ Aued, Blake (August 27, 2026). "New Athens Indoor Football Team Named After R.E.M. Song ... Kinda". Flagpole. Retrieved September 1, 2026.
- ↑ "Athens Crush Unveils Name and Logo Ahead of 2027 IFL Debut". RowdySports.tv. August 26, 2026. Retrieved September 1, 2026.
External links
[edit]| Topics |
| ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Businesses | |||||
| Colleges and Universities | |||||
| K–12 education |
| ||||
| Arts and culture | |||||
| Venues | |||||
| Sports | |||||
| Tourist attractions | |||||
| Radio stations | |||||
| Baseball | .svg){kind=small} | |
|---|---|---|
| Basketball |
| |
| Football | ||
| Hockey | ||
| Lacrosse | ||
| Pickleball |
| |
| Roller derby | ||
| Rugby league | ||
| Rugby union |
| |
| Soccer | ||
| Ultimate | ||
| Volleyball | ||
