Arena Football Back in Hub City
Arena football comes to the Hub city once again through the Renegades football team. Those behind the entrance into the city and the upkeep of the team welcome the Renegades as an asset to the city.
Freddy Chavez, director of the Lubbock Civic Center and City Bank Coliseum, said indoor football is not new to Lubbock.
“The team that is coming to Lubbock is an AFL 2 team. It is a brand new venture here in Lubbock as far as an AFL 2 team,” Chavez said. “I feel that they bring a lot of stability to the sport itself and to the particular event.”
Chavez said Arena Football 2 has more stability because they have some agreements with national firms and national companies.
“What we had prior in the Gunslingers and the Lonestars was more of a regional league, shall we say,” Chavez said. “The majority of the teams are from Texas as far as the status of Arena 2. They didn’t have that geographical expansion that AFL 2 has.”
Chavez said City Bank entered into a naming rights agreement with the team and as far as the terms of the agreement with football, it is a standard lease like any other commercial event that is used for the coliseum.
“One of the things that came back was that we will make an offer to make City Bank pay the city a one time payment for the entire amount … I believe it equated back to $432,000 that City Bank paid the city,” Chavez said.