Football Returns to NKU Campus: Arena Football, The Barrels, to Play at Truist Arena
The Kentucky Barrels, a new professional arena football team, are set to make their debut in the Arena Football One (AF1) league next year, playing their home games at Truist Arena on the Northern Kentucky University (NKU) campus.
The team is the brainchild of NKU alumnus Corey Cunningham, a Cincinnati entrepreneur and investor who owns the software company, Prestige Worldwide Network. Cunningham's venture into professional sports is a significant step for the university and the local community, promising affordable, fast-paced, and family-friendly entertainment.
The Kentucky Barrels' head coach is Cedric Walker, a seasoned Arena Football player and coach with over 29 years of experience in various locations, including Charlotte, Orlando, Arizona, Chicago, Austin, and Las Vegas. Walker, who played for the former Arena Football team Charlotte Rage before transitioning to coaching, aims to build a competitive and exciting team.
The Barrels will play an 8-on-8 version of football with unique rules such as no punts, live-ball netting, and sideline walls. The high-speed game features 35-feet high and 30-feet wide nets to keep the ball and sometimes the crowd in play, making for an electrifying spectacle.
State Sen. Shelley Funke-Frommeyer (R-Alexandria) sees the Kentucky Barrels as a new chapter in the NKU story, while Commissioner Jeff Fisher of the Arena Football 1 League has expressed his support for the new team, stating that it will be a Northern Kentucky team.
NKU President Cady Short-Thompson is thrilled about the partnership with the Kentucky Barrels, stating it's about more than just football. The university is offering the team a learning experience for students in areas of sports marketing, management, merchandising, ticketing, and other jobs related to a pro sports franchise.
The free-agent signing period for the Kentucky Barrels will be in September, with tryouts after that. The team's rosters allow for 22 players on game day. Special shots for players from Thomas More and Mt. St. Joseph are planned, adding a local flavour to the games.
The announcement of the new pro franchise for Northern Kentucky, along with the Florence Y'alls, has elicited excitement about the prospect of "football" on campus. The Kentucky Barrels' first game is not until April, but the anticipation is already building. The base salary for players is $400 a game, but they can also keep their NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) money for appearances and commercial deals.
The Kentucky Barrels' original name was going to be the Bourbons, but it was changed to the Kentucky Barrels due to trademark issues. The team's offices are already in place in Truist Arena, ready to kick off a new era of professional sports in Northern Kentucky.
Read also:
- Weekly happenings in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Southwest region's most popular posts, accompanied by an inquiry:
- Discussion between Putin and Trump in Alaska could potentially overshadow Ukraine's concerns
- Massive 8.8 earthquake hits off the coast of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, prompting Japan to issue a tsunami alert.
