Austin Wranglers

Austin Wranglers Bring Arena Football Home to Erwin Center

Austin has officially joined the excitement of the Arena Football League with the inaugural season of expansion-team Austin Wranglers. The 19 teams of the AFL compete in a 60-minute game that puts a unique spin on the traditional American sport of football.

The AFL’s first weekend of action proved the sport’s growing popularity- the league broke four attendance records: highest week one total, highest week one average, highest total for any week, and highest average for any week. AFL games can be seen weekly on NBC and are enjoying success from a new advertising campaign featuring Philadelphia Soul co-owner Jon Bon Jovi and Colorado Crush co-owner John Elway.

For those still new to arena football, here is a quick rundown of the game. Arena football is played in four, 15-minute quarters. The field is 50 yards long, with 8-yard endzones. Eight players take the field for each team. With only 20 active players on each roster, many athletes play on offense, defense and special teams, rarely leaving the field during the course of the game. The scoring is similar to the more widely recognized NFL, although 2-point conversion attempts could also be drop-kicked, and field goals made by drop-kicking are worth 4 points instead of the standard 3. The shorter field and variations in scoring usually lead to a high-scoring and unpredictable football game. In addition, arena football shares a commonality with professional baseball and hockey. If the ball goes into the stands, the lucky fan who receives the ball is permitted to take it home as a souvenir.

The Wranglers, headed by Coach Skip Foster, finalized their 2004 roster on February 2. The team includes collegiate Texans: Aleric Clark, Texas A&M-Kingsville; Aaron Humphrey, Texas; Sirr Parker, Texas A&M; and Cedric Walker, Stephen F. Austin. To view the entire roster, and for more information on the team, visit www.austinwranglers.com.

Tickets for the Austin Wranglers single-game tickets at the Frank Erwin Center are ON SALE NOW, at all Texas Box Office Outlets (includes H-E-B stores in Austin, Bastrop, Bee Caves, Cedar Park, Georgetown, Pflugerville, Round Rock, and San Marcos; Ft. Hood Bldg. #136 and Renaissance Records in Killeen), charge-by-phone at 512/477-6060 or order on-line at TexasBoxOffice.com. Convenience charges may apply. All information is subject to change. The Frank Erwin Center is a smoke-free facility. Convenient parking is available within walking distance in nearby state and university lots. For more information, call 512/471-7744. The Nextel Emergency Message Center is available on the arena concourse during this event. For emergencies only call 512/845-4213. uterwincenter.com

Wranglers season tickets are available by calling 512-233-7800.