Iowa Rampage arena football team abruptly ends inaugural season

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (WOWT) - Days after making it into ESPN’s top 10 plays, local arena football franchise Iowa Rampage is closing up shop.

Slamming Arena Football USA leadership about its failures to reimburse costs, team owners Trevor Burdett and Mike Taliaferro said in a Thursday news release that “cracks in the promises” started with equipment and uniform delays, and escalated to a lack of funds made available to pay players.

Around the time team camps were underway, they said, AFL Commissioner Lee Hutton suddenly was no longer a part of calls with league owners.

“Lee Hutton and his team have destroyed not only the revival of the AFL, but they have destroyed the hopes of players all over the U.S., coaches who have dedicated time and energy through training camp, the staff of these teams who have worked tireless because they believe, and communities that have put their faith and money into these teams,” the release states. “As owners, we do not take the decision lightly, and we wished that this wouldn’t have come, but without the promised support of the league, we have no other option than to discontinue operation immediately.”

Ticket holders will be reimbursed, the release states, and the team will be liquidating its assets in order to cover any other back payments.

The team was coming off a road game win when the announcement dropped Thursday. The Iowa Rampage played their first official game against the Rapid City Marshals on Saturday, April 27. They had only played one other game: an exhibition against the Omaha Stockmen on April 17.

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