Minnesota Myth

Last updated
Minnesota Myth
AmericanFootball current event.svg Current season
Established 2023
Folded 2024
Played in Minneapolis, Minnesota
at Target Center
MNMyth.com
Minnesota Myth.png
League/conference affiliations
Current uniform
Team colorsOrange, Black & Silver
   
Personnel
Owner(s)Diana Hutton
Head coachVacant
Team history
  • Minnesota Myth (2024)
Championships
League championships (0)
Conference championships (0)
Division championships (0)
Home arena(s)

The Minnesota Myth (stylized as the Minnesota MYTH) were a professional indoor football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Myth played their home games at the Target Center. They were announced as one of the inaugural teams for the revived Arena Football League (AFL), playing its lone season in 2024.

Contents

The Myth were, in the league's structure, effectively the flagship franchise, running much of the league's operations through the team under the auspices of commissioner Lee Hutton, whose wife Diana was listed as the Myth's owner. [1] This structure was later found to have violated the Huttons' agreements with the financial backers of the league, leading to the team's dissolution and Hutton's firing partway through its first season. [2]

History

The Myth were only the second official Minnesota-based team to play in the Arena Football League, the first since the Minnesota Fighting Pike who played in 1996.

Birth of the Myth

Initial Logo (2023) Minnesota Myth Logo.png
Initial Logo (2023)

Four years after the AFL folded for the second time, it was announced on February 1, 2023, that the league intended on relaunching in 2024. [3] On July 18, the 16 intended market cities were announced, including St. Paul, Minnesota. [4] They have an Instagram page that announced their intentions of joining the AFL, though league commissioner Lee Hutton and the league would not confirm, nor deny it.

On November 14, 2023, a press release announced that the team would be officially called the Minnesota Myth. The ownership group is led by Mexican-American attorney Diana Hutton, making her the first Latina majority team owner in league history; Hutton is the wife and law firm partner of Commissioner Lee Hutton, [5] who himself had played college football at the University of Minnesota. [6] Hutton had effectively structured the league so that it operated through the Myth's business operation, [1] under license from G6 Sports Group; G6 president Anthony Rossi noted that Hutton had not paid the required licensing fees. [7] Chairman Chris Chetty noted that Hutton's structuring of the league through a shell company tied to the Myth violated his contract with AFL trademark holder G6 Sports Group, a fireable offense. [2]

Their head coach was former University of Minnesota and former Canadian Football League quarterback Rickey Foggie, who played for the Minnesota Fighting Pike in their only season in 1996 and for several others teams for the next eight seasons before becoming a coach. [8] On January 30, 2024, the Myth announced that they will play at the Target Center in Minneapolis.

End of the Myth

On May 10, 2024, reports indicated that Rickey Foggie resigned as Myth head coach after only two games. Foggie confirmed the reports through his X account, along with the resignation of his special teams coach. On May 13, 2024, in an email from owner Diana Hutton, the Myth became the fourth team to suspend operations blaming it on "negative publicity" and the owners for "sabotage" in order to force her husband Lee Hutton to resign as commissioner. [9] Lee Hutton was fired from his position the next day, replaced by Jeff Fisher. [10] The team folded that same day.

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References

  1. 1 2 McLendon, Natalie (2024-05-20). "UL-Lafayette owed more than $30,000 after Arena Football League team folds". Louisiana Illuminator. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
  2. 1 2 Lind, Andrew (2024-05-26). "How did the Arena Football League end up in this spot?". KOTA-TV . Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  3. ↑ Thompson, Jaylon (February 1, 2023). "Arena Football League announces it's returning for 2024 season with 16 teams". USA Today . Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  4. ↑ David Griswold, Danny Spewak (July 18, 2023). "Arena Football League announces Minnesota will have one of 16 teams in 2024 return". KARE . Retrieved November 16, 2023.
  5. ↑ Professionals. Hutton Law Firm. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  6. ↑ Gordon, Samuel. "Lawyer Hutton represents big names in pro sports". The Minnesota Daily. Retrieved 2024-02-10.
  7. ↑ McKenna, Dave (May 5, 2024). "Is The Newest Arena Football League Already Collapsing?". Defector . Retrieved May 5, 2024.
  8. ↑ David Griswold (November 14, 2023). "AFL announces nickname, owner, head coach of Minnesota team". KARE . Retrieved November 16, 2023.
  9. ↑ Anthony Carter (May 13, 2024). "Minnesota Myth cancels 2024 season, players informed to return home immediately". Arena Insider. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
  10. ↑ Organ, Mike. "Former Tennessee Titans coach Jeff Fisher named Arena Football League interim commissioner". The Tennessean. Retrieved 2024-05-14.
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