Georgia Force The Georgia Force are an Arena Football League team based in an unincorporated area of Gwinnett County , Georgia , United States ( part of suburban Atlanta ) that played in the Southern Division of the National Conference . The team was owned by Arthur M . Blank , owner of the NFL ' s Atlanta Falcons . They were coached by Doug Plank . Following the termination of operations of the Arena Football League on August 4 , 2009 , Georgia Force officials quickly followed with a release that indicated that they , too , were ceasing operations . Reports from August 22 , 2010 , indicate that the Force may be returning to the AFL for the 2011 season . The Alabama Vipers may be relocating to Georgia . They would take on all original assets of the AFL ' s former Georgia franchise . Following the ArenaBowl XXIII , the Vipers announced they would leave Huntsville , and would move to suburban Atlanta for the 2011 AFL season . History . The original Nashville Kats . The team began as the first Nashville Kats team from 1997 to 2001 . The original Kats played in the Gaylord Entertainment Center ( now Bridgestone Arena ) in downtown Nashville and were initially coached by Eddie Khayat in 1997 and 1998 , who was succeeded by Pat Sperduto for the balance of the team ' s time in Nashville . The Kats were the league ' s " Organization of the Year " for their inaugural year of 1997 , and were in the playoffs for every season of their relatively brief existence , even playing in the ArenaBowl each of their final two seasons , albeit losing both times they reached the AFL ' s championship game . Virgil Williams , an Atlanta businessman , purchased the franchise for nearly $ 10 million in December 2001 , and moved the team to Atlanta after the team ' s previous owners failed to negotiate a favorable lease with the arena ' s primary tenant and manager , the National Hockey League ' s Nashville Predators . The Kats would return to Nashville in 2005 in a situation similar to the National Football League ' s Cleveland Browns but would fold yet again after a losing 2007 season . Georgia Force . The rechristened Force initially played in Atlanta ' s downtown Philips Arena , home of the National Basketball Association ' s Atlanta Hawks and NHL Atlanta Thrashers , prior to relocating to suburban Duluth and playing in the Arena at Gwinnett Center for the 2003 and 2004 seasons . The team name was chosen through a contest in the Atlanta Journal Constitution . Anthony R . Ward submitted the winning name . Under Williams ' three - year tenure as owner , the team made the playoffs one time in 2003 . Upon selling the team to Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank in September 2004 , it was announced that the franchise would return to the downtown Philips Arena for the 2005 season in response to fan desires as expressed in a poll . However , following the 2007 season , the Force announced they were returning to the Gwinnett Center in 2008 after signing a 10 year lease . In 2005 , the Nashville Kats returned to the league and they acquired all of the pre - move history from the Force , making this franchise a 2002 expansion team . The 2005 season was , by far , the most successful in team history with highlights including a conference - best 11 - 5 record , and undefeated home record ( 8 - 0 ) , a division title , a National Conference Championship , and a trip to ArenaBowl XIX . They lost to the Colorado Crush , 51 - 48 . They also won Southern Division titles in 2007 and 2008 . The Force ' s official mascot used to be a high - tech runner named G - Force , but was later changed to a blue , cuddly monster named Blu .