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Orlando Predators return to Arena Football League after 7-year hiatus

By Dani Medina
Published  September 26, 2023 10:38am EDT
Sports
FOX 35 Orlando

Stream FOX 35 News:

ORLANDO, Fla. - The Orlando Predators are back!

The Arena Football League announced the return of the Orlando squad Monday after a seven-year hiatus from the league, according to a press release. The Predators previously competed from 1991 to 2016 and won two titles in ‘98 and ’00. Since the team's departure from the AFL, however, the Predators have been competing for the past five years in the National Arena League. 

Central Florida entrepreneur John Cheney will own the franchise whose games will be played at Orlando's Amway Center. Shawn Knapp will lead the transition from the NAL to AFL as the general manager and director of operations. 

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06 June 2015: June 6, 2015: Orlando Predators wide receiver Larry Brackins (1) attempts to catch a pass among the crowd during the game between the Orlando Predators and the Jacksonville Sharks at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fl. (Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

"The excitement of Orlando Predators returning to the AFL is yet another example of our commitment to hand select the best of the best in Arena Football," AFL Commissioner Lee Hutton said in a news release. "We are extremely pleased that Orlando chose the AFL to continue their legacy in arena football."

The AFL will launch in 2024 with 16 teams that will play a 10-game regular season. 

The Predators previously suspended AFL operations in 2016, citing a "reduced number of teams remaining" and "pending disagreements" with the league.