“It has been one of the most exciting thrills of my professional career acquiring the Albany Empire. We would like to thank the National Arena League, its owners, and the city of Albany for their patience and dedication. We look forward to returning to the Capital Region and continuing the amazing winning tradition that has been laid before us,” said Ron Tridico, Owner, Albany Empire.
Trenton and Albany are the state capitals of New Jersey and New York respectively. The Capital City Clash will be an opportunity for the unofficial New Jersey and New York rivalry to battle it out on the field, with bragging rights on the line for each state.
“The Albany Empire are a great addition to the National Arena League,” Flight head coach & general manager Terrence Foster said. “The Empire will be a well coached team and the organization will have tremendous support from the fans. We’re looking forward to the opportunity to compete on behalf of the state of New Jersey against the state of New York,” Foster said.
The Empire will once again be led by head coach Rob Keefe. Keefe was the Empire's coach during the teams two seasons in the AFL. Prior to his time with the Empire, Keefe was the head coach of the Orlando Predators from 2014-2016. Keefe has also been the head coach of the Spokane Shock and the defensive coordinator for the Utah Blaze. He won an ArenaBowl championship in 2008 as a player on the Philadelphia Soul.
"I am very excited that I will once again be the Head Coach of the organization called the Albany Empire. The Empire name is synonymous with winning and excitement,” exclaimed Rob Keefe, Head Coach, Albany Empire. “We are going to do everything possible to win games and continue to build an awesome culture for Albany and the Capital Region."
The Flight and Empire are both set to make their NAL debuts in April 2021. Flight home games are played at Cure Insurance Arena in Trenton, NJ. Jersey Flight season tickets can be reserved by calling 609-310-1233 or by emailing info@jerseyflight football.
Fans can secure their season tickets for the new Albany arena football team now with a $50 deposit per seat by calling 518-487-2085 or by going to timesunioncenter-albany.com/nal.
The Jersey Flight are a professional Arena Football team based in Trenton, New Jersey. The Flight are a member of the National Arena League (NAL). Home games are played at Cure Insurance Arena in Trenton. The team is owned by New Flight Enterprises, LLC. Follow the team @JerseyFlight on Instagram & Facebook, and @JerseyFlightFB on Twitter.
