The Arena at Gwinnett Center won't play host to any touchdown passes this year. The Arena Football League Board of Directors has announced that it will suspend the 2009 season while the League works on developing a long-term plan to improve its economic model.
The shutdown is subject to "agreement and cooperation with the Arena Football League Players Association," the league says.
The Force, which is owned by Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank, last year announced a 10-year deal to pay its homes games at in Duluth.
The Force played at Gwinnett Center in 2003 and 2004, before Atlanta Falcons Owner Arthur Blank bought the club and moved it to the Philips Arena in downtown Atlanta.
"As a four-year owner of the Georgia Force, I have enjoyed our affiliation with Arena Football. In addition, our club is very proud of its leadership position in the league in many areas on and off the field," says Blank. "We want that to continue for our fans, so we support the decision to focus our energies on securing the long-term success of the Arena Football League."
According to the league's acting commissioner, Ed Policy, the AFL will undergo a restructuring process and eventually return as a viable league.
"Every owner in the AFL is strongly committed to the League, the game, and, most importantly, the fans," Policy says. "Owners, however, recognize that, especially in light of the current unprecedented economic climate, the AFL, as a business enterprise, needs to be restructured."
The AFL has a number of high-profile owners, including singer Jon Bon Jovi, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and former NFL quarterback John Elway.
