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West Virginia Roughriders returning in 2020 as part of new league

WHEELING — They’re back!

The West Virginia Roughriders indoor football team will be returning to the Ohio Valley in the spring of 2020 as part of the fledgling National Arena League. In their first season in the ‘Friendly City’ after re-locating from Richmond, Va., the Roughriders ran roughshod over the American Arena League competition last year, going a perfect 13-0 and winning the championship.

While an official announcement is scheduled for Tuesday at 11 a.m. inside WesBanco Arena, Marty Medovic gave a sneak preview of what’s to come. The Wheeling resident was part of the organization last season, but was hired over the offseason as the new general manager.

The NAL was formed after the AFL went from a high of 19 teams in 2007 to a low of four teams in 2018, all in the northeastern United States. There were six teams playing in the 2019 season. On Oct. 29, AFL commissioner Randall Boe confirmed reports that the league had discontinued operating teams in local markets for the 2020 season. At the time, he also stated the league had not yet ceased operations and was looking into becoming a traveling league similar to the recently launched Premier Lacrosse League.

“Gregg said when he left here in July that we would be back. The only question was where would we be playing from a league standpoint,” Medovic said. “He played in the AAL. He won a championship in the AAL. I know there had been some heartbreak between him and the AAL (officials), so he was looking for a new league.

“It took a little longer than expected. We explored a lot of options, but we also wanted to make sure it was the right fit for the Roughriders,” he continued. “We’ve got a decent name. We’ve got a great team and I think we can compete on any level. So when he (Gregg) chose the NAL, that’s a great place for us. It is one of the premiere leagues in Arena football. In fact, you could probably call it ‘the’ premiere league now with the AFL folding a few weeks ago.”

He noted that two other AFL teams in the NAL — the Jacksonville Sharks and the Orlando Predators.

“Jacksonville is the defending champions and Orlando always has a very good team,” Medovic added.

He said it wasn’t shocking when the AFL made its announcement to cease operations.

“They had some problems in the past. Just from the research I did, there were some problems. It was kind of a group ownership of the AFL teams. They were all pretty much owned by the same people and they all kind of pulled together,” he explained. “There were some problems in the past and I think that is why a couple of the teams jumped ship and went to the NAL.”

Other teams in the NAL, as of now, include the Carolina Cobras, the Massachusetts Pirates out of Worcester, Mass.; the Jersey Flight which played in the AAL last season; Columbus, Ga., has a team; and possibly the New York Streets. There are two other possibilities.

“I understand the Streets are having issues finding a home field for the entire season,” he noted. “So, we’ll have four teams in the North (division) and four in the South.”

Each team will play a 12-game regular season with six home games and a like number of away contests.

“I’m local. I know people. I know businesses,” Medovic said. “My dad started Convenient Food Marts in the mid 1960s and grew that through Main Street Bank before he passed away. I had my own business. My dad was part of the Nailers ownership at one time. It helps to know people and have people know you.

“We’ve got a lot of contracts out there just waiting for the names to be signed on them as far as sponsors go,” he noted.

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