OILERS BRING INDOOR FOOTBALL FRANCHISE TO TULSA
Oilers owner Andy Scurto’s vision brings indoor football back to Tulsa
TULSA, Okla. – The Tulsa Oilers, proud affiliate of the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks and the AHL’s San Diego Gulls, are bringing indoor football back to Tulsa for the first time since 2014 via the purchase of an Indoor Football League franchise, it was announced Tuesday at a press conference.
At a press conference held today with Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum, Oilers owner Andy Scurto and IFL commissioner Todd Tryon, it was confirmed the IFL’s newest franchise is coming to Tulsa. The Tulsa Indoor Football Team will play its home games in the state-of-the-art BOK Center in downtown Tulsa, playing eight home games. Fans and the community will have the chance to help select the name of Tulsa’s newest sports franchise, which begins play in March 2023.
The IFL was formed by the merging of the United Football League and the Intense Football League in 2008, and the league is the highest level of professional indoor football in the United States. In 2009, the IFL’s inaugural season, 19 separate teams competed in the league. More than a decade later, the IFL trails only the NFL in consecutive seasons played at any level of professional football in the United States. Tulsa becomes the 16th current franchise to join the league, which operates coast to coast in 13 different states.
“I am thrilled to be bringing an IFL team to Tulsa and the BOK Center,” said Andy Scurto. “This addition will continue the commitment from myself and the Tulsa Oilers to bring great quality entertainment to the Tulsa area, and this will allow us to stay engaged with our incredible fan base year round. Indoor Football is fast paced and full of action and I know our fans will love the game.”
Todd Tryon is the current commissioner of the IFL, serving in the role since Oct. 10, 2019. Tryon has inside-out knowledge of every aspect of indoor football, serving as a player, a coach and a team owner in his more than 20 years of indoor football experience.
“Tulsa fits all three areas we look for in a new franchise,” said IFL commissioner Todd Tryon. “Location, venue and ownership. Andy and his team love the city of Tulsa, which has been pretty evident through our vetting process. The IFL got better today with this partnership, and we are more than excited to bring our fast break football to the great city of Tulsa, Oklahoma.”
Teams compete for the Dollar Loan Center IFL National Championship, which is held in Las Vegas, NV at the Dollar Loan Center, located just a few minutes away from the Las Vegas Strip. The Eastern and Western Conference champions each earn a berth to the league title game.
