Florida Stingrays to play in the SIFL

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Stingrays work toward return
League set; Civic Center likely home

Aug. 2, 2011
Written by Craig Handel / news-press.com

The Florida Stingrays are closer to becoming a reality.

Stingrays CEO Jay Lawrence said the team signed a letter of intent with the Southern Indoor Football League and have been in discussions to play at the Lee Civic Center.

It would mark a return to the Civic Center for the Stingrays, who went 0-14 as a member of the American Indoor Football Association in 2008 while playing home games in the North Fort Myers facility.

Lawrence said the team had been negotiating with another league but he was more impressed with the SIFL's future plan.

"They're talking like two and maybe three teams from Florida could be in the league in the future," Lawrence said. "We had heard rumors of different teams coming and going, but when we looked at the teams they're subtracting and adding, we think it's going to make the league stronger."

The SIFL has teams in Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Lawrence said he'll submit 10 dates between March and June to the Civic Center in the next couple of weeks. When six are chosen as home games by the SIFL, the team and Civic Center will have an agreement.

"We're looking forward to games being played here," Civic Center manager Artie McIntyre said. "When he gives me the dates, we're advertising tickets."