# Washington Wolfpack

The Washington Wolfpack are a professional indoor football team based in Everett in the U.S. state of Washington. They were announced as one of the inaugural teams for the revived Arena Football League (AFL), beginning play in 2024. They are now members of Arena Football One.

## History

The original Arena Football League (AFL) first started in 1987 and continued operating until 2009, when it went bankrupt. The league was brought back in 2010 and continued until folding a second time due to bankruptcy following the 2019 season. Everett, Washington, has had several professional indoor football teams in their history: the Everett Hawks played in the AFL's developmental league (AF2) for several years until folding in 2007, the Everett Destroyers were proposed as an inaugural member of the Indoor Football League (IFL) in 2009 but never played, and in 2012 the city had the Everett Raptors in the IFL.

### Arena Football League (2024)

Four years after the original AFL folded for the second time, it was announced on February 1, 2023, that the league intended on relaunching in 2024. On July 18, the 16 intended market cities were announced, including Everett. Officials in several of the cities stated they were surprised at the announcement and were unaware of an AFL team coming. The manager of Angel of the Winds Arena, Everett's only major arena, said that he was only informed about it after the announcement was made, and after contacting Lee Hutton, AFL commissioner, received notice that the league would only reveal information "on our time".
Details about the Everett team were scant in the weeks following the announcement. Eventually, an agreement with Angel of the Winds Arena was secured in late September. Everett Arena Football Club LLC was announced as the ownership group, led by Mike Thomas, the owner of the semi-pro Everett Royals. Thomas noted that he had acquired the franchise after contacting the league in hopes of getting Royals players onto the squad, only to find that the league had not yet lined up an owner for the city's team at the time.
J. R. Wells, a former player for the Everett Hawks and offensive coordinator for the Royals, was announced as the team's first head coach. Several sponsorship deals were also announced, including with Major League Pizza, Tony V's Garage and Buzz Inn Steakhouse. A poll to select the team's name was held in mid-October with four options: Night Howlers, Wolfpack, Cascades and Werewolves. On October 26, the team name was officially announced as the Washington Wolfpack. The 2024 AFL season is scheduled to begin in April 2024. Their main geographic rivals in the new AFL were the Billings Outlaws and the Oregon Blackbears.
On April 27, 2024, the Wolfpack lost their debut game on the road 40-47 to the Blackbears.
On May 12, 2024, kicker Melissa Strother made an extra point while playing for the Wolfpack, making her the first female player to score a point in the Arena Football League. Strother has since been named special teams coordinator for the team.

### Arena Football One (2025-future)

On September 4, 2024, the Wolfpack joined the remaining members of the collapsed AFL in forming the new Arena Football One. They will play in the West Division along with the Billings Outlaws and Oregon Lightning (Potential opponents the Arizona Bandits went dormant for the season).