The Maine Mammoths were a professional indoor football team that was a member of the National Arena League (NAL) for the 2018 season. Based in Portland, Maine, the Mammoths played their home games at the Cross Insurance Arena.[1] The Mammoths are the first professional indoor or arena football team to be located in Maine.
After various speculation beforehand, the Mammoths were officially announced as a National Arena League (NAL) expansion team on December 5, 2017.[2] The team was created by National Sports Ventures, a company led by NAL executive Rob Storm and Atlanta businessman Richard Maslia[3] and also included Jeff Bouchy, owner of the NAL's Jacksonville Sharks and the league's expansion chairman.[4] The Mammoths also introduced indoor football coaching veteran James Fuller as their first head coach[5] and veteran indoor football quarterback Jonathan Bane as their first player.[2] After a slow start to the season going 2–8 through ten games, the team ended the season on a five-game winning streak to finish 7–8 and one spot outside the playoffs.[6] The team was named franchise of the year.[7]
Following their first season, the team planned to tweak its schedule to increase attendance, which had dwindled after a strong opening week.[8] The team also announced it was for sale and looking for local ownership.[9] On February 5, 2019, the team announced an indefinite hiatus beginning with the 2019 season as the team reportedly negotiates with local ownership.[10] In September 2019, the league announced that a new owner was going through the final stages of league approval and expect the Mammoths to return for the 2020 season.[11] However, the team was not mentioned again in any further press releases and was not included on the 2020 season schedule.[12] The Mammoths have essentially folded and the trademarks were abandoned in 2020.[13]
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